Companions of Fortune
by shbeba
Summary: You have your heros and your villians...and then you have Carliin, a young warlock knee high in mud with a oddball group that her misfortune landed her with. Across the globe, across dimensions...they go where the gold flows fighting all the way. discon.
1. Chapter 1

An idea for a fanfiction for World of Warcraft that has been bouncing around my head for some time. Will updated as I feel like it but I've got a plot all lined up ^^

enjoy!

note: I do not own Wow...it is property of Blizzard

Undercity was always the same to Carliin. The same smell of rot and sewage that made her stomach do flipflop for hours. The young blood elf warlock let out a frustrated sigh and turned to her companion, "Will you hurry up please Calhoun? I hate this place, " she snapped at the undead priest taking his time as usual.

The priest glanced at her, or would but his eyes where covered by two criss crossing bandages yet still seemed to stare right at her, "Calm Carliin. We are in no haste,"

She glared at him, " you said that an hour ago!" she hissed.

Calhoun shrugged, a touch of a smirk to his dried lips, "Best to be prepared my dear you don't want a me to be unprepared now do you?"

He chuckled a bit and turned back to the vendor looking over the products and asking short questions in the garbled language of the forsaken nodding or frowning at the responses he got. Carliin let out a frustrated sigh turning back to looking out over the center of the underground city, "Asshole..." she grumbled.

"If you are so bored you could wait outside you know, " Calhoun said lifting up an anklet inspecting the quality of it.

Carliin shuddered and made a gagging sound in her throat, "There is no way I'm going to sit around with Cromwell giggling like a lunatic and Zen'Jithil picking a fight with me," she said.

"I dunno...." the undead priest said turning to her again, "You pick fights with our rouge just as much as he does with you. You two fight like children," he chuckled and pointed out a few items finally making a purchase.

"That stupid troll is the one who starts it!" Carliin protested angrily, "Always acting moody, bad tempered, and ill manner like most trolls are!"

"Oh hush up Carliin. He at least doesn't acted like a spoiled whinny princess, "the undead man said poking her in her forehead as he passed her, his pack clinking with all sorts of trinkets for his profession.

"hey! I do not!" she protested following the taller man to the elevator to the surface,"take that back you overgrown walking corpse!"

Calhoun chuckled, "Keep that up and I might forget to cast a heal for a certain someone," he said in a pleasant sing song voice that shut Carliin up quickly. It would do her no good to have the priest playing favorites in the middle of battle. Like hell was she going to be second best to the damn troll or Cromwell heaven forbid.

Damn Calhoun in his 'diplomacy'! She sulked following him into the elevator relieved to be getting away from the stench of the Undercity.

The first breath of fresh air was rejuvenating and Carliin let out a sigh of content, feeling in better moods. Calhoun chuckled, "Is it really that bad?" he asked tilting his head at her.

"You couldn't even imagine," she said taking in another deep breath of fresh air that smelt faintly of wet pine. The scent of nature was a blessing no doubt about it, even for a warlock like herself the scent of fresh clean air was invigorating.

Calhoun chuckled again and began to walk out of the city, down the broken cobblestone path, "Probably not since I am lacking a noise and a sense of smell in my afterlife," he said pleasantly as if it was the best news he heard all day.

Carliin couldn't help but smile. Calhoun was a character. A happy go lucky calm headed priest who would kill at the drop of a pin and then apologize pleasantly to the corpse. Was he a holy forsaken who believed in picking up where he left?

By the abyss no! Calhoun was as holy as a infernal in a church. He just was probably the nicest evil priest you would ever meet in your life or unlife. She was just glad he was her companion and not a rival. Calhoun as a rival was a scary thought.

Carliin's smile faltered however as they approached the last two members of their four man circus. Half hidden in the shadows sitting next to a fearsome looking dark blue lizard with bright red eyes sat a troll brooding.

He was taller then most trolls, his tusks a little longer, but he was, or at least claimed, a darkspear troll however Carliin highly doubted that fact. But then again she doubted everything he said. He glanced up at the two with grey-blue stormy eyes, his dark red hair sticking out from underneath his helmet, "taking your time again mon?" he asked sarcastically, "did jo at least get what jo be needin?"

"Of course of course," Calhoun said with a pleasant smile raising one hand up in a friendly way, "I'm all ready to save your collected asses when the mission goes to hell,"

"hehe...."a raspy voice chuckled nearby. Over in the shadows of a pine tree a grinning undead , a warrior by the looks of him sat. He was more rotted , nearly ghoulike his lips missing giving him a permanent smile showing all his teeth, the Calhoun was.

The yellow eyes where alight with something, defiantly not intelligences as the undead made his next comment of , "clouds...hehe...."

Carliin rolled her eyes. Cromwell as they called him wasn't the brightest candle in the world....probably the stupidest undead alive she thought. But he was a good warrior and most importantly cheap....just like Calhoun liked it.

She wasn't even sure his real name was Cromwell! It was just the name etched on the armor he was found wearing and that could've been anyones armor for the gods' sake.

Calhoun smiled and clapped his hands together with a pleasant smile, "Now then! Let us be on our way my companions. We have a lot of work ahead of us,"

The warlock bit back a groan as she headed for where their mounts where tied up. When Calhoun said a lot he meant it. It meant a ridiculous number of pointless missions to line their 'fearless leader's' pockets with more gold with the rest of them getting a 'fair' share.

Zen'Jithil was already mounting up on his raptor mount, the beast making a low growly sound as usually like it had a mutant cat stuck in its throat. Next to it stood the two undead horses.

Calhoun's was a mighty beast lavishly decorated and held itself tall and the priest always made a cutting figure on top of it, the other one had a bent back, dull eyes and shuffled about like the second rate piece of junk it was. Cromwell didn't care....Cromwell wouldn't of care if they gave him a murloc to ride!

Finally Carliin got o her mount and felt herself grow with more pride. It was a large gray kodos, a mount ten times bigger then her but it made her feel important like she was a queen above the rest of her companions. Truth be told she thought the giant chickens where kind of the laughing stock of the horde, they didn't have the stamina of the undead horses, the toughness of a kodos, or really all that much speed like the wolf or the lizard. They just looked pretty.

Working with Calhoun for the better part of her career and trudging through ankle deep sewage, sliding down the banks of muddy rivers, and being covered in all matter of shit Carliin had lost the ability to care about her appearance as much as she had use to.

She pulled herself onto her mount and was pleased to find that she was now level with Zen'Jithil's shoulder instead of barely to his chest. Just because he was ten times taller then here didn't mean that she would be looked down upon by the overgrown gnome!

Although it was hard to be intimidating to a seven and a half foot troll when you yourself stood at a humble five foot eight. Compared to other female blood elves she was taller then some males making her ego probably grow in her youth.

"hehe...off to the moon!" Cromwell cackled as he slapped the reins sending his pile of bones of a horse trotting after Calhoun's proud mount. Carliin rolled her eyes sending her kodos into a gently lope after the two, Zen'Jithil bringing up the rear as usual, eyes carefully keeping an eye out for trouble.

"So oh fearless leader, "Carliin began, "Where are we going anyways?"

"fearless leader ahoy!" Cromwell said with his unnerving permanent grin. Everyone ignored his outburst as usual and Calhoun shrugged.

"Going to Felwood for a few things, then to the Winterspring, then off to the wilds of Azshara before a quick stop in Durotar then to the Dustwallow Marshes and then Un'Goro Crater before heading to our last stop Stranglethorn Vale," he said in a tone that made it seem like this was a walk in the park.

Carliin only groaned and hunched down in her saddle. This meant weeks without a bath wandering the woods for a stupid item that most sane people wouldn't want. The warlock raised her hands and softly mumbled a chant, a summoning circle appearing and soon a scowling imp was plopped onto her lap.

"What took you so long?" the imp hissed, "I was thinking I was getting replaced by the voidwalker!"

"Oh hush Jezel," the warlock said gently patting his head, "You are the only one worth having a conversation with and you know it,"

The imp grinned toothily, "Very true milady," he said snuggling up against her.

She didn't know how it happened but somehow she had managed to get an imp that didn't whine about her enslaving of it, far from it. Jezel had immediately taken a liking to her and clung to his mistress like a lost puppy.

It was pretty sad when your only 'friend' was your pet imp but then Cromwell didn't make good conversations, she hated the troll, and Calhoun always somehow got you wrapped around his finger.

Calhoun....she sighed remembering the first time they met, her nearly dead in the ghostlands in a cave with him sitting next to her, nursing her back to health because his mana was depleted in taking out the ghouls that had been about to eat her.

It had cost him money and he had roped her into being his lackey in his grand glorious dream of becoming more successful then any goblin. She thought he was a loony at first, now she wasn't so sure.

She wondered where the priest was storing his impressive loot of coins now. He probably could by Undercity by this point!

"So where are we going mistress?" the imp asked propping his hooved feet up on a the saddle.

"Where aren't we going?" Carliin said rolling her eyes.

"Well we aren't going to the plaguelands my dear, " Calhoun put in.

"Bastard...." she growled causing the little imp to snort and the troll to crack a smile.

Cromwell chuckled, "Bastard priest of money!"

And for once Carliin agreed with the undead loon.


	2. Chapter 2

More adventures with the lovely band of misfits XD And yes...eventually they will gain a new member ^^ Have to decide class and race lolz

anyways Enjoy!

Carliin looked on at the bland view of Felwood, a place that made Undercity smell like fresh roses for sure. At least in Undercity you didn't have to worry about having to swim in the water....

She sat shivering, smelling like a drowned sewer rat next to the small fire they had going sending up a putrid smelling waft of smoke into the air.

"feeling better Carliin?"Calhoun asked from across the way, next to his mount rearranging some things, "You are very luck that lake was there to break your fall," he said brightly.

Cromwell cackled, "Elf go Whhhaaaa! And then elf go SPLASH!" he said waving his arms about.

"Dat be a good impression of her mon," Zen'Jithil said with a smirk, "Bet everyone in felwood heard her,"

"Shut up!" she hissed eyes narrowing, "No one was asking your opinion!"

"I didn't know I be needin your permission to speak," he shot back rolling his eyes.

"Funny, I didn't know trolls could speak," She shot back causing him to scowl at her. Calhoun sighed and camp back to the camp, "Break it up children,"

Two sets of eyes glared at him and one pair of eyes kind of stared at him blankly, "Priest leader speakeths!"

Calhoun chuckled, "Yes I do speaketh and what I speaketh you heareth and doeth or you are a very deadeth warrior,"

"hehe....rabbit...." Cromwell chuckled in response.

Carliin rolled her eyes hunching down in her cloak, "So oh fearless leader, what's next to do in Felwood? Please tell me it isn't chasing more of the walking piles of ooze around...."

"Technically Carliin...they don't walk they ooze along," Calhoun corrected happily, "and no. Our next task is to clear out some of those satyrs who like over yonder and collect their ear as proof. Remember to take both of them to make it look like we have more,"

"Wouldn't that be swindling?" the troll rouge asked sarcastically, "and here I be thinkin you where a changed man,"

"My dear Zen'Jithil! That hurt, truly it did," Calhoun said clutching his non exsisting heart ,"It is called a bonus! We do all this hard work and yet we don't get a little extra?"

Carliin snorted, "You sit back on your ass while we do all the work and you might heal or cast a spell every once and while,"

"By the gods above why do you try to break my fragile heart my friends? Have I never not been there for you?"

A chorus of yes followed his statement as the warlock and the rouge put aside their differences for a moment. Cromwell giggled, "Calhoun never here or there teehee!"

A look of fake hurt crossed Calhoun's face again, "Oh my oh my! So tragic! After all this time of me thinking we were in fact good friends and comrades!"

"Calhoun...we be more of your lackeys then any real friends mon," Zen'Jithil said, "You just pick up people who are to desperate to say no...or messed up like Cromwell,"

"I've got a squirrel in my ribcage," Cromwell responded in a proud tone as his armor made scratching sounds.

Everyone turned to look at him oddly a collective silence falling upon the group, so quite you could hear the bubbling of the acid green water.

"Well....that certainly killed the conversation, " Calhoun murmured.

A howl sent the party back into the reality of the group, their momentarily lasp in concentration passed. The troll sighed, "So satyrs aye? Wished we be having another member to our party...."

"What class? Carliin hates paladins, I can't stand mages, you have little love of hunters ever since that female troll hunter's pet humped your leg, and we can never find a shaman or druid who is cheap enough for my liking," the priest said crossing his arms.

"Zen'Jithil should lighten up...his leg is missing all that good loving. Probably the most he ever got in his lifetime for sure," Carliin said dryly.

The troll shot her nasty look as Calhoun sighed, "I'll get a new member when the time is right okay? Right now we are going to murder some satyrs, get some gold, and go home happy,"

"And where is home exactly Calhoun?" Carliin snapped, "To my knowledge no one here has a home other then the generic inn room we always stay in!"

Calhoun shrugged, "Do you want to pull our shares and buy a little cabin where we can all be snuggly wuggly in because we get along oh so well?"

That stopped the warlock as the image of the four of them crammed into one bed in a two room cabin in the middle of no where popped into her head. Best not to push the topic...Calhoun had a sick and twisted sense of humor.

"Now that all of this is settled, lets get moving shall we? Those satyrs won't chop off their ears and hand them to us for free no?"

Carliin nodded with a sigh getting back to her feet, a bit dryer now but still smelt like Felwood water mixed with mud. She pulled up her hood and checked to make sure her dagger, her wand, her charms, and her regents where all in place. She carefully ran through the list of spells she would use for each situation.

Calhoun was doing the same thing, making sure that he was equipped to provide the support. Zen'Jithil merely checked his daggers to make sure they where coated with a fine layer of poison before looking to the others, "Ya all ready now?"

Calhoun nodded picking up his staff, "All good here,"

Carliin nodded a few seconds after him, "Same. I'll summon the voidwalker when we get closer," she said.

The three looked to Cromwell who was trying to reach a hand under his armor making whining sounds, "Squirrel need to get out of my belly!"

"Cromwell! Fighty time!" Calhoun said with a grin.

The warrior immediately stopped his squirrel search and straightened up throwing both hands into the air, "Yeah! We get to make the people go dancing!"

Carliin rolled her eyes shaking her head as she begin to move towards where the satyrs where located," Yes Cromwell....we are going dancing"

"I likes to waltz,"Cromwell said matter of factly, "I was good waltzer!" with a giggle the undead warrior started after Carliin with his unnatural grin plastered for enternity on his face.

"Of course Cromwell....of course," She said rolling her eyes. Sometimes she didn't know whenever his brain had rotten out when he died or he had been crazy when he was alive....

~*~

The lair of the satyrs was a horrendous place crawling with the foul demonic creatures. Carliin scowled as she looked over them. Night elves where despicable enough...but satyrs where worse in her book. The night elves at least had some dignity and honor where these fallen ones had none.

Another scowl twisted her face and she glanced at the priest, "What is the plan of attack?"

Calhoun studied the scene with his unseen covered eyes, somehow seeing what was happening before turning to the others, "Carliin cover Zen'Jithil as he moves in, as soon as he has struck, start laying down the offensive spells. Cromwell will move in then with the voidwalker to take out the first line and I'll heal and ward and fire a few spells off as can," he said briefly, "The old hit and go,"

She nodded and glanced back at her voidwalker, Thulgnama who looked on indifferent to what they where saying, its claws itched only to let others share in its agony. No one made a witty or sharp remark and even Cromwell was quite a lone bone finger to his fleshless lips that exposed yellowing teeth and gums fully in his unnerving smile.

He knew when it was time for business somewhere in that empty skull of his.

Calhoun muttered a low prayer making the symbol for the guidance of the light that the humans so cherished to use. It was his own quirk he must've kept from when he still breathed.

The troll nodded and soon, it seemed as if he vanished from sight, not a whisper of a sound heard. Carliin was already moving a stealthy as she could through the shrubbery keeping her eyes on the slight ripple that signaled the rouge closing in.

Her voidwalker hissed softly following his master obediently the two now nearby. She chanted softly, black energy already dancing on her finger tips now. Cromwell had moved up behind her, sword in one hand, his sheild in the other eyes fixed on the scene ready to go.

Calhoun was silent, staff at the ready, the soft whispers of prayers on his lips, prayers that this time where the start of a powerful spell.

Then one of the satyrs let out a gasp falling dead to the ground as the rouge appeared already slashing into the fallen one's startled companion. A third one thundered down the hill towards him but he let out a bellow of pain as a shadowbolt tore through his body.

Carliin raised a hand shouting a word of command and the voidwalker moved forward followed quickly by a ready for action Cromwell.

Zen'Jithil crouched, ducking an income missile, and in that moment, the loon of an undead had used his back and vaulted over him into the swarm of enemies with a battle cry, "For the squirrely!"

Carliin nearly rolled here eyes as she pulled out her wand sending a bolt of supercharged energy into an incoming satyr. A lame battle cry as always...the fight itself was spectacular.

The warrior and rouge where back to back mowing down the satyrs who came rushing in with precisions, the Voidwalker taking out any enemies in the loopholes of a move. Combined with Carliin's incoming magical back-up, they where a team to be reckoned with....but even the best tired out eventually.

Zen'Jithil gritted his teeth as a stroke went wide cutting into his arm. Cromwell let out a whine as a dagger clipped his stomach. Carliin muttered the spell for blood pact feeling her life force drain a bit into her voidwalker to keep it in the fray.

Suddenly a flash of light engulfed the troll, the wounds closing up immediately followed by a flash over Cromwell fueling and refreshing the two in their fights, a flash hit Carliin next and she spared a glance back at Calhoun.

He stood muttering spells, throwing spells of aid over them as well as with a hiss, sending undo pain onto his enemies with a single word or flick of his wrist. Soon the mob died down and Carliin moved closer tho the three fighters followed by their priest as the last Satyr in this particular area fell.

Calhoun looked over the bodies with a critical eye, "seventeen. Not bad,"

Carliin shook her head turning one of the foul creatures over on its belly with one booted foot, "Enough to complete this assignment and get out of this place,"

"Seventeen times two Carliin. We take both ears not one," Calhoun reminded her as he bent down to start the task.

Cromwell giggled, "Mehe...two for one! Must be a sale"

Zen'Jithil was also de-earing the satyr corpses now taking both ears without question and Carliin let out a sigh getting down and starting to cut off a few ears as well, "The things you do for money Calhoun...."

"Well money is how we keep our gear in good condition to do these type of things so later we can save up and part way and spend it on whatever we wish," he said with a smile making it seem that cutting off ears was something that everyone should enjoy.

"First thing I'm doing is retiring in Booty Bay and enjoying expensive booze, fresh seafood, and the company of well informed and decent travelers," Carliin said, "And never go tromping through mud again!"

Zen'Jithil rolled his eyes, "Good luck findin someone with as huge an ego as you...." he said tossing another bloody ear into the pile they had now accumulated.

"I'll make sure to go troll hunting every once and a while and picture each one as being you," she snarled back glaring.

He snorted and flashed a grin, "That be because you won't be getting ta kill the real ting mon...you aren't in the same class as me,"

"I can kick your fat overgrown ass from one end of Thunderbluffs to the other and you know it!" Carliin shot back.

Calhoun sighed, "Please seatle down children. Let us act like reasonable adults here,"

The two quited but continued to shoot glares at one another. Soon the blood task was complete and the pyre of the bodies was made and set ablaze while Calhoun dropped the last bloody ear into a bag, "And there we go. Done with that mission." he said pleasantly.

Cromwell giggled as he watched the fire, "Big cook out! Who brought the food?"

"No one did. We are leaving now idiot,"Carliin growled wanting nothing more then to get going and out of this place and maybe even to somewhere decent where she could wash off the scent of undead pond goop.

"I got a squirrel," Cromwell said finally getting a hand under his armor and into the hole in his ribcage. A hiss and a squeal later, he pulled out a squirming critter. It defiantly wasn't a squirrel.

"Is that a ...."Carliin asked eyes wide.

"Yes," Calhoun said as Cromwell tossed the critter into the flames, "that was a skunk yes Carliin...."

"I don't know about you guys....but I vote we have him ride at the back...." Zen'Jithil murmured as the lovely sent of dead roasting skunk wafted over the group.

"For once I have to agree with you," Carliin said nearly gagging as Cromwell came over to them chuckling a bit and smelling strongly of skunk. The troll and the elf stepped away from Cromwell who stopped and tilted his head in confusion. Calhoun shrugged, "I'll ride with him and when we get to Winterspring we'll carve a hole for him in the ice and throw him in,"

"Sounds like a plan, "Carliin said with a nod, "So shall we get going now before every wild animal in Felwood comes looking for Sir Smells-o-lot here?"

"With all haste my friends with all haste," the priest responded with a grin.

Zen'Jithil shook his head as they walked back to the small outpost the left their mounts at, " I didn't even know Fellwood be havin skunks about...."

"It is best not to ask such things where Cromwell is concerned..."Carliin said with a roll of her eyes.

The stench of dead burning skunk hung heavily in the air for days...even the satyrs avoided their old haunt do to the repulsive stench.


	3. Chapter 3

Another full filled day in the life of Carliin and her not so normal horde companions XD Next chapter the noobie comes into the picture not knowning what they are getting themselves into! What race and what class will they be!? You'll see that in chapter 4 XD

Winterspring. The land of eternal snow drifts and stinging wind. Nothing but snow covered pines and icy paths as far as the eye could see with the hills filled with roaming yetis, furbolgs, and chimeras. Truly a terrible place...but Carliin found she enjoyed missions here more so then other places. It was cold, it was brisk and one didn't have to worry about smelling like a rotting carcass.

Plus the hot springs where lovely if you could get some time without your party hanging around. Group baths in the hotspring where more of war then a real bath. She let out a sigh looking down upon the land of snow and ice from their perch near the top of a mountain. There where furbolgs to hunt up here and Calhoun wanted ones with thick coats thus he figured they lived higher up.

To Carliin, they all had thick smelly coats. She sighed crouching down again nibbling at a bit of the bread she had bought in Everlook before the set out on this wild chase into the mountains. Her stomach was starting to make gurgling noises.

"Bread?" With that word two nearly gloved hands with flesh rotting away to show bones was thrust into her face, "Bread for me?" Cromwell asked again tilting his head.

Carliin scowled a bit and broke off a small piece giving it to the grinning undead who chomped it down happily. Really...what did undead need food for? They where dead! Calhoun had merely shrugged and said, "Its the action not the reason Carliin," whatever that meant she had no idea.

"Well Cromwell? Read to take out some more Furbolg for their fur?" she asked dryly. The forsaken only nodded giggling, "Go make the dance!"

Why had Cromwell sent the two of them out? So he and the troll could sit back on their asses and drink booze with whoever was hanging out in the taverns? It wasn't fair!

She got to her feet keeping her hood pulled up and her cloak tight around her body, the undead bounding ahead of her through the snow like a dog of some sort. Behind Carliin her voidwalker groaned pushing through the mass of snow. Carliin smiled a bit, her light weight helping to keep her above the huge snowbanks as they moved to find their foe.

The wind was starting to pick up and the sky was turning a dark blackened color threatening snow at any given moment. What they needed...a blizzard. She sighed and wished they had another member...then she wouldn't have to rely on an undead fool for help.

"Furries!" Cromwell said lifting up his shield and sword. It was true, a few feet away a white furborg was shuffling through the snow probably to its den after feeling the threatening blizzard gathering above them. To bad it would never make it...

Carliin lifted her gloved hands muttering dark words under her breath, the beginnings of a spell while Cromwell giggled leaping forward the voidwalker following behind him. With a shout she let loose her spell and soon the furbolg was screaming in pain as the curse took effect.

Its bloodshot eyes fell upon the undead that leapt into the air sword at the read shield help up in defense a crazed grin plastered across his face. The furbolg roared striking wildly spittle flying about in its pain induced frenzy.

Cromwell easily ducked the swiping paws, a few hits clanging off his dented shield as the undead warrior danced about the furbolg with that permanent ghastly smile on his face. The voidwalker came in now tearing into the creatures flank cutting large festering marks in is sides, The furbolg bellowed in even more agony, its eyes already going hazy with death and blood.

A quick thrust of the sword and a spray of blood and the furbolg fell silent toppling onto its back dead. The snow around slowly began to turn red as Carliin walked over to the carcass frowning slightly covering her nose with one hand. Dead or alive the creature smelt rank.

"Skin it quick and lets get out of here, "Carliin hissed dismissing her voidwalker. The demon let out a loud sigh of relief as it faded from view as per usual but she paid it no mind. Cromwell giggled crouching down and started to skin the beast, "Skinny skin skin!"

How the troll taught this brain dead fool how to skin was beyond her. Must've been some troll voo doo or something. Cromwell had been hexed to know how to do something right other then fight. It was the only explanation.

A harsh wind picked up sending her cloak flapping out in front of her cutting through the material to the bone. She shivered cursing as she saw a stray snowflake drift lazily through the air.

"You done yet Cromwell?!" she hissed at him crossing her arms in clear displeasure.

"All no skinned," he said stuffing the newly stripped skin into his back with the other ones, a foul odor of wet furbolg and blood wafting out of it. Carliin bit back the urge to gag at the wretched scent. The air began to grow thicker with snowflakes as the warlock groaned.

"We are going to get stuck up on this mountain and freeze to death!" she whined already searching for a path back down the slippery slope of the mountain the where on. Cromwell looked down the hill then looked back at the furbolg, then at his bony hands, then at Carliin, "Go down fast?"

"As fast as we can any ways we can," Carliin said tugging her cloak closer as the wind picked up again. The undead man giggled and tosses his shield to the ground and grabs Carliin tight pulling him up harshly against his breath plate and jumping onto his shield. For a moment the circular disk teetered before leaning forward and sliding down the hill picking up speed.

Then the shield turned sled was airborne and Carliin looked down at the world of white flashing below and let out a scream that echoed perhaps clear to Everlook. Cromwell only laughed shrieking out a loud, "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,"

The shield hit the snow again sliding back down the cliffs jarring Carliin's bones again as trees begin to become a real hazard. Her eyes widened and she gripped the sides of the shield, "Left!"

She threw her body slightly left, Cromwell following with a small, "hehe!" veering the shield left and out of the way of a tree. Carliin's face was as pale as the snow as the wild sled ride continued through the pine forest. Animals let out yelps dodging out of the way, an unfortunate squirrel now smashed against the bottom of the sled leaving a red smear behind them.

The blizzard broke loose then, a wall of white blasting into the blood elves face. She squinted her eyes seeing nothing now, fear growing in the bit of her stomach knowing that tree was mostly likely their end. Or at least hers. Perhaps Cromwell could survive a fracture neck.

Suddenly the sled hit something large and flipped over sending the two flopping into the snow. Carliin struggled to sit up spitting snow, looking like a little snow monster. Nearby Cromwell was giggling head in the snow legs kicking. She staggered to her feet and struggled over to him giving him a hard kick in the shin hearing a yelp before staggering over to the shield to see what they hit.

She blinked at the sight before her. The shield was fine but the night elf they had hit was not. A large gash in his side bleeding profusely. She cursed hand going to her satchel looking for a healing potion. "Damn my foolhardy paladin upbringing!" she cured thinking of her noble paladin parents that believed you had to save the world and no kill was honorable unless by your own hands.

Besides...she stopped her from getting killed at the cost of his body, didn't she owe him somehow in a twisted sort of way? Her cold fingers wrapped around a bottle and she pulled it out with a sigh of relief. She had been right in assuming she had one more left.

Quickly she dropped down next to the night elf as Cromwell stomped up tilting his head, "purple elfy," he said with a slightly happy tone, "bleedy badly"

"Put pressure on the wound," she said curtly lifting the night elf's head and putting the flask to his lips, "he save our lives sort of. This is the least we can do,"

Weakly the night elf swallowed the fluid, the murmur of orcish probably had the poor elf worried that he was going to be tortured or something. The truth was no one in the party wanted to have to bother with it and that even to the horde, they where rather an eccentric group. The blizzard increased, snow piling up around them faster and faster and Carliin looked up worriedly, "We need to find shelter!" she yelled to Cromwell.

The forsaken turned to her and shrugged, icicles hanging from his now turning blue lips, "Dunno. Everything white!"

She growled angrily and pointed at the elf, "Carry him and follow me you retard!" she yelled wrapping her snow bitten cloak about her struggling up on top the snow looking around desperately, "That way!" she said pointing in the direction hoping it was the way to the huts of the furbolgs. They could slay another one for some shelter right? It was there only choice now.

Cromwell shouldered the night elf onto his back without any trouble and stumbled through the waist deep snow drifts behind Carliin,"Lots of white stuff!" he groaned.

The two moved froward, Carliin trying to see anything that looked vaguely like a house through the whiteout and found nothing but shadowy trees. Her body was trembling in the cold now as she continued to look all around for something, anything!

The sound of snow crunching under foot and a large form looming out of the white out caused Carliin to draw her wand eyes narrowed. The form was tall, although not bulky enough to be a wendigo...defiantly wasn't a furbolg...so that left only...

"Zen'Jithil!" she said never more relieved to see the troll then in that moment. The rouge stopped and moved in their direction until he came into the realm of visibility, "There you two are! Calhoun sent me out ta find jo,"

"I'm going to kill Calhoun when I find him, "Carliin hissed between chattering teeth and frostbitten eyebrows. The troll only rolled his eyes and pointed behind him.

"We set up a camp a few steps tat way. Let's get moving," he said turning his back to her and tromping through the snow. Carliin only huffed pulling her cloak tighter and following him with a shouted order back to Cromwell, "This way!"

It seemed to take forever to get even an inch forward in the blinding snow but eventually the sight of a furbolg hut, the door open spilling in a window of yellow through the snow caught her attention. The troll paused by the door untying the rope to his waist, which was tied to the hut as a guide back to the building if he found them. Carliin ducked into the warm hut with a moan of relief quickly taking off her snowy cloak , "Warmth at last!"

Calhoun chuckled a bit, "Welcome to camp save the frozen elves," he glanced at Cromwell coming in with the night elf trapped over him unconscious, "And I mean that quite figuratively I guess,"

"Can it,"Carliin snapped taking a seat next to the fire reaching her hands closer to it, "He save our lives so we save his. Equal exchange is the best exchange you always say,"

"Do I say that? Doesn't sound like me you know..." Calhoun muttered but eventually sighed, "Really though I have no comeback against your confused paladin upbringing,"

The priest ducked as a empty leaded vial flew over his head Carliin glaring daggers,"Don't you EVER bring up my family! Got that!?"

He raised his hands in a defensive manner, "Whooaa girl. Calm down..." he grumbled moving a bit away from her towards Cromwell and the night elf, "Geeze you are testy tonight..."

The priest signed again before looking at the unconscious alliance leaning forward and mumbling a few words, light springing from his fingers and across the figure. Carliin blinked as he healed the night elf, "What are you...."

"If he saved your life and he owes you a debt then the party is in the deal too Carliin," he said simply, dropping down into flawless common, "And speak an alliance tongue. Makes them feel better,"

Carliin sighed and dropped down to common although hers was a bit flawed and had a thick accent to it, "I dun't be seeing the meanin of this." she said in her dwarfish common.

Calhoun and herself had picked up common while serving on a goblin trade ship from Booty Bay to Ratchet and back. It was there first venture serving as guards on the ships when the usual guards where short skilled members anyhow. The barren had practically signed the deal as soon as Calhoun said help.

So for a year she was a seafaring warlock, learning common from a usually drunk dwarf in the galley while Calhoun was able to rub elbows with the goblin captain and learn common from someone without an outlandish accent.

"Still have the accent I see," Calhoun said with a grin sitting back, "You sound like a proper dwarf woman!"

"Ack! Shut your bloody mouth ye rotting corpse!" she growled back,

Cromwell giggled, "Dwarf..." he gibbered in his attempt at common which was little more then a few words like, cloud, water, kill, road, dwarf, and salmon.

Zen'Jithil came in and looked at the three, "And why is everyone speakin common all of a sudden?" he asked crossing his arms.

Carliin pointed at the night elf, "He saved our life and I saved his and Calhoun says it would make him feel comforted to hear a friendly language," she said quickly in orcish.

The troll sighs, "I hate it when you two start spouting common...I never understand a damn word you be sayin!"

Calhoun shrugged and turned to Carliin speaking in common,"But isn't that one of the finer points no?"

"I be in agreeyance with ye," She said back with a faint smile, "Although I would bet me mother's beard to not have this damn accent!"

"Or have their little sayings too," he said with a grin, "Your mother doesn't have a beard,"

"Ack!" Carliin said angrily, "Ye brain addled, liver lunged, lepard gnome of a man! I should smash yer grinning face in!"

She sat back sulking as Calhoun laughed shaking his head, their two orcish speaking companions looking at them in utter confusion. The night elf groaned and Carliin heard a mumbled, "Not another drunk dwarf...."

She nearly threw him back into the snow as Calhoun burst into laughter.

~*~

Carliin sat next to the fire watching their new guest sleep. It had been a rough night for sure with the howling wind and blizzard raging outside but it gave enough time for Calhoun to explain why he and Zen'Jithil weren't in Everlook but rather out here in the middle of no where.

They had heard about bad weather and came looking for them, but Calhoun saw trouble a mile before it happened and decided to make a base camp in preoccupied house. The rouge and priest duo make short work of the former inhabitants although the smell still remained.

She was thankful that they had come although outright she would never say it to either of them. They knew her well enough to know when she was thankful or not. This morning the sun was shinning bright and three foot of fresh snow lay outside the door. Cromwell had went rolling into it happily while Calhoun smiled and commented on the wonders of nature.

Then business as usual. Zen'Jithil and Cromwell were sent off to round up the last of the furbolg fur they needed and Calhoun had gone back to Everlook to take care of some business but promised to return shortly. That left Carliin with the task of watching over the night elf until he awoke.

She sighed inching closer to the fire wondering if he would ever wake up...when she heard a groan and saw him shift. Slowly he sat up, hand to his head eyes closed giving Carliin a better look at his face. He was young by elf standards she could tell, attractive in an alien short of way too.

She shook her head and spoke to him, "Ye feeling better lad?" she asked wincing at her dwarfish accent coming into her speech with a vengeance.

He let out another groan opening eye, then both eyes where wide open as he moved back, "blood elf!"

She rolled her eyes putting her head in her hand, "No foolin you it seems," she said sarcastically.

The night elf blinked in shock, "You...you spoke common!"

The statement was met with another eye roll form the warlock, "Aye I speak common tongue. Now if you be quite done gawking like a fool you can hurry along now," she said, "You be no prisoner here,"

He eyed her suspiciously, "But you are horde,"

"Aye but it dun't be meaning I got to kill an alliance who stopped a slepand saved me ever loving neck," she said dryly, "Get ye ass moving before aye change me mind,"

The night elf got to his feet turning to look at her and gave a small bow, " I thank you miss?" he extended a hand tilting his head and she sighed shaking his hand briefly.

"Carliin," she said not saying her last name just in case.

He gave a small smile, "Carleen," he said in his odd accent before point at himself, "I'm Naonmir Eyther'nddare," he said.

"Does it really matter?" she asked dryly, "Get going already!"

The night elf stared back at her for a few minutes before moving out of the hut. She got to her feet to make sure he didn't linger around in case Calhoun was up to something dastardly for a profit. She saw no elf but a flash of a large yellow spotted cat darting away quickly through the snow, "A druid...should've guest. Looked like one," she murmured in orcish glad to be speaking a tongue that didn't make her sound like a drunk.

A half hour later Calhoun was back on top his might undead stead, the other four mounts behind him, "Well my esteemed companions," he declared, "Its off to Azshara now and the silver to get there is too expensive I say. The flight master must be low on cash for he's charging a fortune for a flight!"

"So we are riding all the way to Azshara?" she asked dryly not liking the thought one bit.

"Oh heavens know!" Calhoun said shaking his head. Zen'Jithil sighed, "And what is the catch then mon?" he asked crossing his arms.

Cromwell ignored them both sitting on the ground piling snow over his legs and carving out a poorly made lopsided castle from the pile, "Stormwind Keep huzzah!"

"Oh nothing,"Calhoun said cheerfully, "We are just going to skip Azshara for now and ride to Orrgrimmar to turn in these furs and see if we can pick up another fellow to join our noble questing,"

Carliin and Zen'Jithil both moaned at the thought of trekking not only back through Felwood but also across the barrens where it seemed everyone stopped and gawked at you like you had grown another head. It was annoying.

Plus it would mean having all her clothes become caked in dust, a thought that was very unpleasant. Carliin let out a sigh and trudged to her mount pulling herself up onto the kodos's back, "Well lets get this over with..." she grumbled.

Zen'Jithil jumped up onto his raptor, the lizard hissing a bit shaking its head of some snow that had dropped down from a branch above. Calhoun grinned at the two, "that's the spirits of adventure!" he said as if this was the most exciting thing they could possibly do.

"Mount up Cromwell!" the priest said slapping his reins and turning his mount back to the road the warlock and rouge following suit. Cromwell eeped and quickly got to his feet dumping the snow out of his lap and clambering up into his bent back bony horse, "Wait for Cromwell!" he whined sending the gimp mount into a shuffling gallop.

From under the shelter of a few low hanging pine branches a pair of glowing cat eyes watched the quartet disappear over a hill before quickly disappearing in a brief rustle of the pines. In the snow the ruined remains of Cromwell's keep where covered up and smoothed over in the land of ice and snow.


	4. Chapter 4

The fifth member revealed as well as some of Carliin's and Zen'Jithil's past as well.

Orggrimar was better then Undercity but still overall a place Carliin really didn't want to go. It was hot,filled with sweaty people in armor, had large scowling sweaty orc guards...and more trolls crawling about then Zul'Frrak the only difference was she couldn't blast these trolls into the next life!

The warlock hunkered down in her seat, or rather her pelt of animal fur, next to Calhoun watching people come and go from the inn, a few of them approaching their little pow wow for the interview. For some reason beyond her, they had some sort of reputation of being rich. Perhaps Calhoun was loaded and had more connections then any man alive or dead. Sometimes she wondered if he was some sort of crime boss!

What would that make her though? The Trashgirl? She sighed and swirled her drink moodily watching idly as Cromwell gurgled down alcohol one after the other wondering if he still had a stomach to put it all or if when he stood up he would be standing in a puddle of booze.

"So anyone catch your fancy?" she drawled, "The one armed warrior, the old gray bearded hunter with a pet nearly as ancient as him, the troll mage female that Zen'Jithil gawked at for hours keeping a firm lock on her breast size,"

Calhoun let out a sigh," Carliin stop being sarcastic. I know the choices haven't been very good except the mage and that blood elf paladin."

She stiffened glaring at him," You hire that healadin and I'll will set you on fire with my wand and beat your head in against a rock until you are as retarded as Cromwell!" She hissed angrily.

Cromwell snickered," Retarded heh,"

The priest shook his head and might've rolled his eyes if the gesture was even visible under his eye covering, "I wasn't even thinking about it Carliin. Too preachy about the light anyways..."

"That be one thing we are agreeing on mon," Zen'Jithil said, "besides he was glaring something awful at me that would be putting Carliin to shame,"

"Keep that up and I'm going to castrate little Zen'Jithil with a rusty dagger and shove it up your ass," She growled angrily.

Calhoun sighed and gave then both the sternest look he could with is covered eyes, "Just shut up both of you,"

The warlock sulked sitting back crossing her arms wondering why fate decided to saddle her with such an unruly brash, and shifty troll. She was about to retort again but a small clearing of the throat to grab their attention sounded nearby.

The party turned, well all save for Cromwell who continued to guzzle his tankard like an ogre, to behold a sight that usually didn't greet their party of misfits. It was a well dressed and groomed orc, not overly dressed like many they saw nor was he under dressed. He wore simple armor built for a practical use, a mace on his side glowing with a faint enchantment.

"Are you Calhoun?" he asked looking at the undead priest who was looking the new comer up and down.

"Aye. I am. How can I help you good orc?" he said in his usual friendly way.

The orc bowed, "I'm Kodash Stormrunner, a shaman by trade but in need of a good steady job with good pay and I was told you where the man to see,"

Carliin and Zen'Jithil shared a look as Calhoun smiled with a nod, "I an accommodate another to our party of course but what is it that you bring to our party? Many people approach me with a want for a job,"

Kodash nodded in understandment, "Of course. I'm a shaman, trained so all my life and have adventured far and wide. However I've settled down recently and started a family..." he paused slumping a bit with a sigh, "But times are hard and the gold I had gathered in my travels is growing small and will be no good to support my family,"

"So you need to hook up with our enterprise to get paid," Calhoun said the wheels in his head turning, "We get a lot of good pay for the odd jobs we run and with our split I can start you off with five gold, and increase it quickly after I see what you can do,"

The shaman paused to consider the offer but quickly nodded, "It is a fair deal priest and I will gladly take it if you will have me,"

Carliin felt like getting to her feet smiling and shake his hand and saying, "Welcome to slave labor camp with the most twisted overseer ever!"

Instead she took a sip at her drink sighing a bit and glanced at Zen'Jithil who seemed indifferent to the whole thing except for the twitch of a frown at the corner of his mouth. Probably because Calhoun didn't pick the troll female mage.

The priest got to his feet with a welcoming smile,"We will have you noble shaman. You are the best candidate I've seen all day. Let us walk a bit and talk over the details while my companions stock up on our supplies,"

Calhoun glanced back at them and pointed at Cromwell, "Cromwell, go shopping. Say Calhoun sent you and hand out the price they ask," he said tossing the undead warrior a bag of gold. Cromwell nodded giggling, "Cromwell get the goodies!" and with that Cromwell was skipping out the door unleashed onto Orgrimmar.

Carliin was a bit surprised. It wasn't often Cromwell was sent shopping instead of herself which meant...

"And Carliin and Zen'Jithil go to the shore and get some fresh fish and crawler meat. I want it fresh for a welcoming meal to our new companion Kodash,"

The shaman blinked and had a sheepish look, "Really you don't have to..."

"Nonsense!" Calhoun said with a grin, "They get along fine for a troll and a elf. I'm positive they won't kill each other now let us talk about this deal in depth shall we?"

The shaman gave a nod and followed the undead out the door leaving Zen'Jithil and Carliin to glare at each other. Eventually she smirked getting to her feet paying for her drink, "Ready to go Zandalari?"

He bristled with a growl rearing up a bit,"Darkspear" he growled angrily.

Carliin knew it was a sore spot for some reason. Zandalar trolls where huge and when they first met she had asked if he was really a Darkspear and not a famed Zandalar troll. He had practically bit her head off the first time now he just growled at her more.

"Sure you are," she drawled rolling her eyes exiting the inn, "and let me guess, you have tea with gnomes on the weekends? It is nearly as believable as you being a Darkspear jungle troll when you average eight foot tall,"

He growled again hand on his dagger probably fantasizing about putting it into her back, "I'm not a zandalar paladin dropout!"

Now it was time for Carliin to glare daggers at him as he struck just as hard at her sore spot. The two stood in the street now having a standoff and she was doing her best to look imposing but it was like a goblin trying to be imposing to a giant except she was a goblin was dynamite in her hand.

"Let's get Calhoun's fish and then we'll murder each other," she growled breaking the glare and stalking off. He grumbled under his breath something in trollish and followed after her. The weather was balmy today and there wasn't a cloud in the sky as the two made there way down to beach.

Carliin stood on the beach surveying the coastline seeing tons of the little crabs scurrying about and a few good places to sit bored for a few hours and pull up some fish. Who knows? Maybe she would catch a few she needed to restock some of her potions for alchemy?

"You on that side of the beach and don't come near me," She growled moving in the opposite direction of him. Carliin had scarcely taken five steps when she saw him out of the corner of her eye following him.

"I said you are on the other side of the beach!" she said angrily.

"real smart Carl," he said rolling his eyes, "It nothin but cliffs tat way and besides better fishing up here,"

She let out an angry sigh clambering up on a rock that jutted out into the calm ocean and plopped herself down taking out her fishing pole snapping it together, "Fine if you are going to be a moron then make yourself useful for once!"

He rolled his eyes sitting down next to her although keeping a good distance between them pulling out his own pole, "And how could I ever be achieving tat wit you mon?"

She grinned deviously and pulled out a bottle of some fizzy drink the goblins where making now, a sweet drink but something Carliin as fond of to drink in the downtime between missions, and placed the bottom of the bottle cap on the tip of his tusk and pulled.

Zen'Jithil blinked at her as she pulled the now topless bottle to her lips taking a sip, "We found a purpose for those tusks of yours other then making you look absolutely retarded," she said with a grin.

"Don't try dat one again," he grumbled gingerly rubbing the tip of the tusk as if her mere proximity to it had scarred it.

"Why? Might ruin your flawless ivory tusks and make the ladies not as attractive to you?" she drawled baiting her line, "Doesn't being half Zandalar troll make them try to drag you off the cave faster?"

He growled putting the defenseless worm a little to hard onto the hook, "Will you shut up about dat?! I'm not a Zandalar!"

"Oh my mistake," Carliin said sweetly with all the charm of a viper, "You are a Zandalar troll that thinks its a Darkspear not realizing you make them all look smaller,"

He sighed glaring at her out of the corner of his eye, "And you have a burning hatred against paladins even though Calhoun keeps callin you one,"

"You want the real story of why?" she asked suddenly casting her line. In the brief moment of silence she took a sip of her drink glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

He seemed thoughtful about it as he cast his line as well landing away from Carliin's, "What's the catch girly?"

"You are going to finally tell me if you really are a Zandalar halfbreed or not," she said with a smirk, "I promise I won't tell anyone...and Calhoun probably knows anyways,"

Another long pause as Zen'Jithil mused over the proposition before shrugging, "Fine"

Carliin was a bit surprised he agreed to this. Usually he would growl and go all moody and reclusive but times had changed perhaps? Or had they finally accepted they where stuck with each other for a long time?

Either way Carliin shrugged lounging back a bit, "My full name is Carliin Summerhawk," she admitted seeing the troll turn to look at her quickly, "Yes...the Summerhawk family that has for all of history run forward swords uplifted to the light against all evil and wicked in the world and cleansing the world,"

"So...you are the odd child out or something?" he asked turning his attention to his line after the brief moment of surprise.

"Oh I was training to become a paladin but I was no good at it. The teacher told me I should go to nunnery and serve as a healer and nanny for small children," she scows bitterly, "I was angry and ran off into the less holy places you could say and ran into the woman who would be my teacher,"

She paused to jerk her a line a bit but felt no returning jerk, no fish had yet to bite, "So I began to learn the arts of demonology and my parents where horrified when they learned what I was dabbling in and kept trying to force me to go back to my paladin training. I refused and left to find my own path. Haven't talked to nor heard from them since,"

The troll glanced at her again, "So they disowned you?"

She shook her head, "No..." she paused to take a sip of the fruity fizzy drink, "I disowned myself. I didn't want to be looked down upon by those hypocrites....I never wanted to be anything like them and that's why I hate paladins....and Calhoun for teasing me about it,"

There was another round of silence between the two although it wasn't tense. Then Zen'Jithil sighed and looked back out over the water, "Well you be half right girly....Zandalar is my heritage...but I'm not half," he sighed slouching a bit forward, "I''m full blooded,"

Carliin nearly dropped her pole, "So how did a full blooded Zandalar end up in the horde!?" she said in a loud whisper, "I was just teasing! I just thought truly you where a are awfully tall darkspear!"

He chuckled a bit, "Well I wouldn't have guessed your name be Summerhawk either mon," He turned to look at her, "I was just found by a darkspear hunter in Stranglethorn and that be the tale der,"

"So do trolls often leave their babies alone in the jungle or was this usual?"Her bobber twitched but she didn't noticed actually interested in Zen'Jithil's past...who knew?

"Depends...in this case it was unusual...da shamans and elders where befuddled as to why I was there," he seemed lost in thought, "So I was raised Darkspear and despite my size, I became a rouge,"

"Does size matter? You are more stealthy then many of the rouges I've seen. Must be that natural shifty ness," she said with a smirk, "You are a moody shifty troll,"

"And you are a cold hearted bitch," he said right back with a grin, "one who just lost her fish,"

"uh?!" Quickly she fumbled with her pole reeling it in and gawk at her empty hook, "Dammit to the neathers!"

Zen'Jithil snorted smirking broadly, "You really are bad at dis,"

"Shut up you or I'm going to shove this pole up your ass!" She shouted back bating her line again. The two knew their weaknesses...but really underneath all the fighting, they enjoyed the company of another lost soul besides the fighting was there way of bonding.

They never got too nasty on purpose unless someone was truly steamed and that only happened once and Calhoun had berated them for days like they where naughty children. How did that priest someone get no one to hate him but use them all for his purposes at the same time?!

She looked up as the troll began to reel in standing up grinning," A big one too. Perhaps it is your lost one, eh?"

Carliin smiled sweetly getting to her feet and suddenly gave the troll a sudden hard push sending the surprised rouge into the drink. She laughed as he sat up glaring at her, "Real mature girly...." he grumbled.

The blood elf only grinned and quickly retreated back to shore before any retaliation could be given, "You keep finding those fish and I'll get th crawler so we can get back before sundown!" she called out quickly dissapearing around the rocks to the south of them with a giggle. How silly he looked wet!

She continued giggling as she hit the first crab with a weak shadowbolt, the creature falling on its side dead. She approached it and pried open its shell for the tender meats below. She was engrossed in the task of killing and collecting the meat of the crawlers, tossing it into her pack.

A splash made her glance up, then look back down before she looked up again eyes wide in a double take. Zen'Jithil was standing in the water probably not wearing anything at all, the water acting like god sent censorship bar for her.

"Zen'Jithil!" She yelled, "Put some clothes on before you scare all the fish away!"

He glance at her rolling his eyes, "I'm wearing pants still you moron!"

"Get dressed now you streaking troll! Any flesh is to much on a troll!" she retorted adverting her eyes acting as if the sight had burned her sockets out or something.

"Oh shut up!" he shouted back even though he waded out of the water, wearing his waterlogged pants and heading towards his equipment. He dropped his dagger and the pile of fish next to his pack shaking his head sending water flying everywhere, "Just because you've never seen a real male...."

"You aren't a male! You are a troll! An overgrown hermaphrodite! You breed by budding!" she shrieked causing him to look at her strangely.

"...it isn't that bad Carliin...you are overreacting!" He hissed pulling on his shirt, getting his tusks snared on the fabric for a second.

"I am not! You you....."the world began to swoon. Perhaps it was the heat and the fact she wasn't properly hydrated, or perhaps it was the sight of a half nude troll...whatever the reason Carliin felt herself falling backwards into the sand. She hadn't blackout more or less was having a dizzy spell, a concerned Zen'Jithil standing over her, "You okay mon?"

His response was a sudden kick to the leg and a hiss from her,"Do I...LOOK...okay to...you?!"

He rolled his eyes at her and bent down tossing her over his shoulder, "Drama queen..." he grumbled as he paused to pick up the fish and the two packs, "You are a piece of work mon...."

Carliin snorted and smacked his back halfheartedly, "Stupid...troll...son of a ....naga...." she groaned her head pounding from the sudden dizzy spell, "Ack Get me to Calhoun now!"

"Do I look like a mount ta you?"

"Shut up or I'm going to bite you," she hissed back before groaning a hand on her head, "Damn this heat! Oh ....my poor head!"

The troll sighed shaking his head,"elves..."he grumbled shouldering her more and heading back to Orgrimmar.

~*~

Carliin was hunkered down in her bed, Calhoun finishing his healing with a sigh, "Just a minor dizzy spell...I think a slight fever but it will be done in a day thanks to my masterful...fish and crab soup!"

She groaned hunkering down, "That stuff is nasty..." she grumbled.

Cromwell giggled slurping the soup mess down without a care in the world, the newcomer looked on in surprise at the undead man's veracious appetite. That and being surprised and in shock was a oddly normal reaction to Cromwell. It made Carliin feel a bit better to see a normal reaction.

Zen'Jithil ate his quietly in the corner already going back into sulky rouge mode. Calhoun only came back to Carliin's bedside with a steaming bowl of the mush, "I didn't make this Carliin. Our new esteemed partner Kodash,"

She took the bowl suspiciously looking at them all before taking one slow bite...and then another...and soon she was scarfing the meal down faster then Cromwell, "Real food!"

Kodash laughed, a deep rumbling sound that made Carliin feel all warm and happy inside, "An old family recipe my mother and her mother and her mother before her used. I'm glad you enjoy it,"

"It's really good," Carliin said smiling holding her bowl out for seconds and getting a large helping generously spooned out. Immediately Carliin took a liking to Kodash.

Perhaps he was simple, a man of the land who probably had a family that made up two thirds of Orgrimmar's population, but he was generously cheery and kind. Calhoun was a schemer who was a sweet talker that seemed kind if only to get what he wanted.

Zen'Jithil was a troll. Nothing else need said. Cromwell wouldn't be able to tell nice from the back end of a kodos. It was good to have someone...someone real and normal in their group. Kodash was probably a freshening wind to their group of misfits. Their link to reality...for as long as he kept his mind as he tagged along with him.

Even though she liked him, she gave him four weeks before he was wishing he never joined. But who knew? Maybe his shinning optimism and hope for his family was stronger then all their moody, insane selves put together? Perhaps...one could only trust in faith to see what would happen next.


	5. Chapter 5

A longer chapter then usual but it took a while to write and the ideas at the end came out of no where and begged to be added!

She ran through the marshes, feeling the underbrush tugging at her clothes, her boots sinking into ditches and puddles of mud, and even her hair suffered as it was pulled at by tree limbs. Carliin didn't care one bit other then that she had to run...she had to run and not look back.

Fear was clawing at her worse then any fear spell could summon up. She was being hunted. She had to keep going even though subconsciously she knew she was leaving a trail a blind ogre could follow.

Carliin let out a yelp falling into a ditch her knees painfully hitting the ground causing her to let out a gasp, she dropped her wand on the hit. She scrambled up the other side of the ditch, tearing her clothes hastily grabbing her wand and continued on her mad flight.

She looked around desperately for some sort of cover, somewhere to hide, somewhere she could curl up and put her hands over her ears making the bad things go away. Eventually her fearful flight ended with her belly down in the mud scrambling under the spreading cave-like roots of one of the sagging trees.

It was here, curled up in a ball shivering and covered from head to toe in mud that she began to silently sob her mind a confused haze of what had happened. The fight had been not going to well. Her voidwalker was reverted nothing but some dust and cuffs and Cromwell and Zen'Jithil where battering away at the troll while Kodash, Calhoun and herself provided cover. It seemed when one of the foul dragonspawn fell another popped up.

One from behind attacked, Kodash letting out a howl of rage digging his weapon into it while Calhoun switched to hard hitting shadowspells with a scowl on his face. Carliin went to help with supposively lone dragonspawn...when she was thrown with a hard hit to her ribs.

Luckily her armor took the brunt of the hit however the monster was barreling towards the winded warlock who groped for her wand, wrapping her hands around the familiar item but by that time the beast was already on top of her ready to rip her apart.

She gritted her teeth preparing for her most imminent death but swearing to bring this son of a bitch beast to hell with her when a large form barreled into it's side sending it to the ground right before her surprised eyes. It roared and bucked but soon Zen'Jithil's dagger found its throat silencing it quickly.

The troll had turned to her getting to his feet, his tusks and armor splattered with blood, a wild look in his eyes and his voice raspy as he asked simply, "Are you okey mon?"

But Carliin didn't see Zen'Jithil nor did she see the swamps as her mind shifted the scene to something else. Tall trees, pine trees yes....with mountains in the back capped with snow...and green rolling hills of grass...and a troll...a large bloody wilded troll that was a green color, red warpaint..no blood...on his face grinning at her hungrily....and a voice...a masculine voice...that screamed at her, "Run Carliin! RUN!"

And she did, heading this far off voice of a memory, and ran. She heard the surprised cry of Zen'Jithil, confused at her sudden fright, Calhoun swearing at her to come back....and the howl of a forest troll as it celebrated its victory.

So through the marshes she had run until she stopped and hid here tears in her eyes as she cried for a reason she could not remember. It was a haze in her mind. A picture that came up in her nightmares and fled with a whisper before she could grasp what was there. A part of her felt so stupid and embarrassed by her sudden irrational fear constantly berating her while the other half was whimpering in fear wondering if they where safe here.

Perhaps an hour passed with Carliin half asleep in her hiding place, muddy knees to her chest when the sudden sound of sniffing was heard and a wolf poked its head into her hiding place. She shrunk back in sudden fear until the wolf...smiled!?

She blinked before an embarrassed blush came to her cheeks as she noted the wolf was nearly translucent like a ghost, and had a friendly aura about it. The wolf back out of the hiding spot, the paws shifting quickly to the kodos hide boots of Kodash.

"Carliin...the others are worried about you. You can come out now nothing is out here that can harm you," the friendly deep voice of Kodash said.

She shook her head even though he couldn't see it and shrunk back into her hiding place,"No..." she grumbled more embarrassed then afraid.

Kodash sighed and crossed his arms before a grin came to his face and he sat down on the ground near her hiding spot and began to make a small camp, coaxing a small fire to take root in the small teepee of kindling he had gathered together.

Soon the delicious aroma of roasted crocolisk with herbs rubbed into the meat was wafting into her hiding hole and she sniffed the ear dainty, her stomach making a loud rumble of complaint. Damn Kodash and his enticing cooking! Why did his food always have to smell so good and taste even better?

If it had been Calhoun who was cooking she would've never left her spot until next year!

Carliin reluctantly followed the siren call of her stomach and crawled forward out of the mud and roots into the light of Kodash's small camp. The orc was sitting back smoking from a pipe slowly looking very meditative. It gave her the time to get a better look at their new companion.

He was middle aged with tusks that fit his mouth perfectly yellowing slightly at the tips now but still kept very clean. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail to keep it out of his face during battle. In his armor he looked vicious and warlike but underneath all that armor she knew he had a heart of solid gold.

She wondered if she said that to Calhoun he would be wondering if he could someone get Kodash to give it up to him or try to snatch it in his sleep. The great god of money loved anything that could be bought and sold and that was just about everything Carliin could think of.

He turned to smile a bit at her, "So the little elf finally comes out," he said with a small laugh, "it seems you are hungry? Then help yourself. Kodash's food is your food friend,"

Carliin gave him a small smile and took a seat gingerly picking up one of the sticks with the meat speared on the top. She took a bite the meet melting in her mouth making her stomach gurgle happily.

"...thank you, " she mumbled still embarrassed by her sudden flight. Kodash only nodded with a smile removing his pipe from between his lips, "You gave us quite a fright when you ran off like the burning legion itself was at your heels,"

"Just a sudden memory that happens..." she said lightly taking another bite of the rich meat, "I don't even remember why it plagues me so,"

"Perhaps its a step back you need to take to go forward?" Kodash said looking at at her, "A memory linked to an even to the past that could open a new path for you,"

Carliin stared at him nearly dropping her food. In that moment she wanted to get down on her knees and ask him to marry her. How could someone be kind hearted, a good cook, and have give advice without probing questions and made you feel good for having issues?

She didn't propose to him but she did smile, "Perhaps," she said finishing off her chunk of meat, "First off we better get back to Calhoun so I can apologize to him for running off,"

"You should also apologize to Zen'Jithil," the orc said getting to his feet quickly collecting up the pieces that remained for later and snuffing out the fire.

Carliin scowled,"No way. I didn't even want him in the group!"

"Was it because he was troll or do you seriously not like him?"

Carliin nearly scowled and took back the part she had said about him not asking probing questions. The shaman it seemed was set on making her wriggle like a worm on a hook. He only sighed, "He was the most worried of all although he didn't show it,"

the blood elf paused blinking in surprise,"How would you know if he never showed it?" she asked crossing her arms.

The orc chuckled, "You can tell...he wanted to come after you, first to volunteer," Kodash grinned at her broadly, "If that doesn't say concern very little will,"

"Then very little will," Carliin shot back, "Because we hate each other! We fight like trolls and elves should and I want nothing to do with him,"

The orc arched an eyebrow that sneaky knowing look still on his face making Carliin infuriated and eager at the same time. On one side she wanted to know desperately what he was keeping a secret while on the other hand she wanted to punch him in the face...and more then likely feel really bad for it later.

"You two fight but you get along a lot better then other trolls and elves you know," He said lightly, "Sometimes we just attract to people because of something in common,"

Carliin blinked a bit. Something in common? They both worked for Calhoun and agreed he was the priest who worshiped the great god of money. They both agreed that Cromwell was an insane psychopath but in some sneaky way it would turn out he was a champion of the light. They both...had some family issues that needed sorting out....

She cut of her line of thought there and scowled at him, "Nothing in common unless I was seven feet of pure inbred giant gnome with teeth,"

He chuckled, "You never know...have you heard the theory that trolls are the forefathers of elves?"

"Yes and its all a bunch of shit for sure! We look nothing alike and I certaintly don't have tusks!" she shot back crossing her arms.

Kodash shrugged still keeping that friendly yet mysterious air about him as he began to trudge back to the others with her, "You never know,"

"I always know," Carliin grumbled. Even as she said the statement, somewhere in the dark hazy world of her memory she could hear the laughter of the shades she had no name too and the place that was so familiar but just as nameless.

"Hey Kodash can I ask you a stupid question? How is your knowledge about trees?" She blurted out of the blue.

The shaman chuckled a bit, "I'm no druid but I can spot one or two trees locally. Why?"

"Trying to figure out where you would see tall pine trees," she said with a shrug.

"tall pine trees?" Kodash arched an eyebrow, "that could very well be a great number of places,"

"That's why I said it was a stupid question," She said dryly jumping over a ditch trying to avoid more mud then she was already caked with, "By the light I need a bath so bad..." she grumbled.

It was at that point that it began to pour and Kodash chuckled, "It seems you are a regular shaman yourself Carliin. When you ask the elements bring,"

She shot him a nasty glare as the rain lashed at them, "Remind me to slap you when we get back..." she grumbled.

Forget all she had said earlier about Kodash being a nice man. He was just as evil as Zen'Jithil and Calhoun combined! The orc was better at making you drop your guard to wheedle out information...by the light...was there not a sane face in this world?

~*~

Back in the ogre village smelling like a crushed dandelion mixed with a bucket of sea salt, Carliin sat back watching the fire idly. Her robes form earlier where being washed by a kindly ogre, the same one who let her borrow some ogre soup. She had needed two hands to lift the damned thing!

Now she sat back in her cozy pink lounging robe wrapped up in animal furs, feeling actually at peace with her cup of hot cider thanking whoever it was that created the ogres here in Dustwallow. May the light bless them for sure!

Her time of peace and serenity was cut short though as Calhoun entered the hut, "Feeling better?" he asked in that oh so Calhoun friendly way.

She sighed, "I was until you showed up," she grumbled.

The priest laughed a bit and took a seat next to her before his look became one of a more serious nature, "That same vision again wasn't it?"

It wasn't a question but a statement and she only nodded taking another sip of her cider. Calhoun sighed and turned towards the fire with his covered eyes, "The place sounds like your homeland. Perhaps we should make a stop back around there for some work and allow you to sort this mess out,"

"Are my personal issues causing you to loose profit?" she asked bitterly.

Calhoun let out a sigh and was quite for a while, "Carliin...how long have we known each other?"

"too long I think sometimes,"

He chuckled a bit, "Perhaps but Carliin I consider you a friend since for sure we've been through nearly everything together so far and perhaps until the end of time we'll be stuck together. So when I say I'm really trying to help, no profit involve, believe me,"

She looked over at him sipping her cider, "Hard to do you know but I guess I can try," she grumbled.

"Excellent then," He said with a smile, the old happy go lucky Calhoun back, "That will solve one mystery of our groups past no?"

"Like you have a mysterious past Calhoun," she grumbled.

"Oh?" He arched an unseen eyebrow, "Then who was I when I was alive eh?"

That stopped Carliin in her tracks as she turned to gaze at him. That was a question that she could only speculate and guess at for she only heard snippets of his past and the puzzle was missing pieces.

"You where a priest of the light to some sort of banner," She said brow furrowed in thought, "And I think you where betrayed...possibly linked to your death?"

Calhoun grinned a bit, "You've gotten some of it down, " he sat back crossing his arms, "Perhaps I should share a little with my close comrade in arms,"

That surprised Carliin and it was probably very evident in her wide eyed expression as the priest chuckled, "Well Carliin I know nearly everything about you, " he teased, "So I at least will unveil a little about myself,"

He took a deep breath and seemed to hold as if he pondered on how or where to start before exhaling and sitting back more arms crossed, "I was a priest of the light in the service of the Alliance long long ago. A high ranked one too and one who was going to retire young to get married to a noble girl of good family. A good match mind you,"

Calhoun glanced at Carliin,"Then the war started with the undead and I was sent to a small town, a kind of out of line place for an attack but still good people nonetheless. I healed and comforted them along with a close friend of mine Gerrard...or...at least I thought so,"

He scowled slightly, "As soon as the fight came to us he was sent to get reinforcements to help save some of the villagers. He left...and told the commander all was lost and not to even try....I think it was my intense hate of him that caused me to come back and not find peace. The bastard is still alive out there somewhere,"

"So all the gold and missions is all part of some plot for revenge?" she said tilting her head.

Calhoun shook his head with a grin, "No that's a personal vendetta. What we are doing is something much bigger then that my dear. Maybe one day you'll realize how important it is,"

He didn't say anything else but got to his feet clapping his hands together, "Well now! Let us be off to the festival! Turns out our fine ogre allies are putting on quite the jamboree for all the dragonspawns done in today,"

Carliin frowned slightly but she got to her feet, the fur blanket still wrapped snuggly about her shoulders the cider carried between her two hands, "I'll take a look," was all she said as she followed the priest out the door of the hut.

Truly it was a celebration since the booze was flowing and more drunk horde where wandering about the area then in any other given time in the village. Drums where playing somewhere as well as a few flutes and other odd instruments that she couldn't name adding a more lighthearted mood to the scene.

Calhoun was off to the side talking with a few cloaked figures, more then lightly fellow forsaken laughing and joking like he usually did. Cromwell was dancing with the ogres and other horde members persuaded to take to the floor.

Carliin smiled as she looked at all the couples dancing about laughing, a pang of jealousy rushing through her. There was two orcs dancing and laughing heartily. Over to the side a blood elf male waltz with a undead woman who seemed more dead then alive except for a faint curve to the corners of her mouth. She nearly swore the man called this zombie, 'dearest' but he wasn't sure...odd couple for sure!

The ogres where in high spirits trying to get as many people to join in the growing dance. Carliin shrunk back and quickly stealed away. She didn't want to dance...she wanted to really be alone again to just think over what happened today.

Down on the beach, the music was just a faint drone in the distance, the gentle crash of the waves providing a soothing sound in contrast to the wild rhythms. Truly she expected to be alone but there, a lone troll sat on the beach watching the surf.

"fancy finding you out here Zen'Jithil," she drawled walking over to him cider still in hand, "I though you would be trying to get a girl,"

He glanced over at her before rolling his eyes, "And here I be tinkin of getting some peace,"

"Same," she said taking a seat next to him, "I guess you are less noisy then that party..." Carliin took a sip of her now cool cider still enjoying the tangy taste.

He grinned slightly, "Not one for dancin mon?"

"I'm a warlock not a dancer. Just because your a elf doesn't make you a good dancer," She drawled.

He chuckled a bit, "That makes two of us," he said but then gave her a roguish grin, "But I bet I'm better then you,"

Carliin glared over at him, "Not even on my worse day," she said, "I don't dance like a orc with his leg cut off like you!"

The troll got to his feet and gave her a mock bow and offered a hand to her, "Shall we dance ...milady?" he drawled.

She grinned taking his hand setting her cider to the side, the fur blanket slipping off her shoulders, "Oh it would be an honor milord, " she said back equally as sarcastic.

The drums where faint but the beat was there thrumming through the air as the two took up positions. The height difference was a bit awkward but eventually their feet and bodies figured out how to deal with it and before either knew it, they where waltzing up and down the beach.

"Where did you learn how to waltz?" Carliin asked quirking an amused eyebrow.

Zen'Jithil grinned, "That is a secret,"

She shrugged and just smiled and enjoyed the moment. It was relaxing, the sea in the background around someone whom she didn't particularly like but for some reason was drawn to like a murloc to something shiny. Perhaps Kodash was right?

"Two wayward children sneaking off from everyone again," she said lightly, "Guess that is one thing we have in common,"

"Ja. Probably the thing that keeps us from killin each other," he said with a slight chuckle. Carliin joined in with a small giggle herself as the two continued to waltz on the beach.

Down the beach a murloc looked up at the sky as it waddled down the beach, the bright moon a shiny orb that fascinated the marine creature as it gurgled in its throat. Then something else shiny caught its eye.

It stared bug eyed in wonder at the wildly leaping silver thing and quickly ran forward with a gurgled shriek wanting to have that shiny object more then anything!

Cromwell saw the strange fish thing as he pranced down the beach in awe. A bright yellow and green critter that made the undead warrior want nothing more then to have it! He charged it with a cry of his own hands outstretched before him, "Murlooocy!"

It was love at first bite...


	6. Chapter 6

The jungles of Stranglethorn where hot and sticky, the humidity itself was worse then a downpour of rain in the wetlands! Carliin pushed a lock of hair out of her face as she tromped through the jungle behind Zen'Jithil feeling once more miserable due to the elements.

"How long now?" she asked in a slight whine, "I want to get to Booty Bay before the voodoo zombies come out at night,"

Zen'Jithil rolled his eyes as he moved through the jungle with obvious ease, "Will you stop complaining!?"

"Oh shut up your overgrown leaper gnome," she shot back, "I'm hot, sweaty, and in a terribly bad mood right now so just get us there now!"

"Do I look like a mage to you!?" He growled angrily turning around to fix her with a heated glare and an unpleasant leer.

Carliin glared right back trying to look intimidating even though she looked up and still ever more up at the much taller troll puffing her chest out like that would make her look bigger, "No. You look like an overgrown Zandalar troll who can't tell his tusks from his feet. Now shut up and keep moving!"

The rouge narrowed his eyes before grinning and fading away like a shadow leaving Carliin alone. She let out a long frustrated cry looking around wildly, "This isn't funny Zen'Jithil you tramp! I'm going to blast that damned smile off your face!" she shrieked casting a various of spells on herself, one to give her limited view of invisible units.

She prowled forwards cursing and looking about wildly as a fire spell danced between her fingers. That damned rouge troll! He did this just to piss her off! Oh she was going to make his whole body as read as his hair for this one! A well roasted troll for the wild ones to cannibalize!

The bushes to the right twitched and with a grin she let the fireball fly hitting the bush and the target, a high pitched cry heard and a crispy dead gnome fell forward through the bushes smoldering slightly. Carliin blinked putting a hand to her mouth and nose mostly to block out the intrusive smell of burnt flesh.

"Well dat be one well cooked gnome..."

Carliin jumped a bit turning wildly to the appearing rouge who arched an eyebrow at her, "I can't believe jo be mistaken the gnome for me!"

"Well you are an overgrown one!" She shot back moving over towards the poor fried gnome girl, "You two kind of look alike!"

He rolled his eyes, "So now what?"

Carliin kneeled next to the pitiful corpse feeling a strong stab of guilt, "Why don't you eat it?" she asked viciously giving a savage little grin.

Zen'Jithil shook his head at her, "I gave up gnomes girl...de where starting to go to my hips" he said sarcastically.

"So that's why you lost so much weight, "She teased prodding the corpse slightly with her wand tip biting her lip, "really I didn't mean to fry the poor thing..."

"It's alliance," the troll reminded her crossing his arms, "But then again..when did we give a damn?"

She smiled nodding, "First the night elf now a gnome..."

The troll picked up the pitiful half burnt corpse, "Just convince the priest or shaman,"

Carliin ponder that for a bit, "Well I know Calhoun will do it for a damn good reason but would Kodash do it? I don't know how strongly tied to the alliance he is..."

The rouge shrugged, "Up to you girl. You fried it"

"It was meant to hit you," she pouted, 'Its your fault for not jumping in to take the hit!"

Zen'Jithil chuckled a bit, "I don't go looking to die especially by a pint sized blood elf with a bite nearly as bad as her bark,"

"Cold hearted bitch," She said sarcastically walking past him, "This way to Booty Bay right? Will we make it before sundown?"

He glanced up at the sky, "Cuttin it close but I tink we will girl,"

"Then lets get moving. I want to get Calhoun, get a bath, and then probably relax in the inn to a class of cherry fizz," she said hiking up her robes a bit.

The jungle buzzed around the two now saddled with a charred corpse of a gnome caught in the crossfire of their fight. Curse her paladin upbringing!

~*~

Calhoun stared at the charred corpse a hand on his chin, "Geeze Carliin...this is pretty bad. A job that is going to take a lot of work," the priest said.

Carliin scowled crossing her arms, "Can you do it or not?" she snapped feeling her robes clinging to her form from the amount of humidity in the area.

The undead priest lifted on arm of the limp corpse and let it drop, "She's dead dead but I think I can manage a little miracle with the help of the almighty gods and of the preservation of the light,"

Kodash shook his head in shock, "I can see you have loose ties with the horde," he said casually.

The priest grinned at him, "Well it is good to try and start being friends with the alliance I mean we can't be fighting each other forever if we can get along over issues,"

Carliin nodded, "The scourge, venture crew, demons, and more...we have more in common then we like to admit and I think we fight more with allies at times,"

"You can say that again,"Zen'Jithil muttered looking straight at Carliin who gave an innocent look.

Calhoun hushed them all, "Shut up. I need perfect concentration to bring this soul back from the dead. Kodash, give a blast of healing magic after I revive the gnome girl and Zen'Jithil be ready with the rope to bind her,"

Carliin crossed her arms, "And what about me?"

"Make sure Cromwell and Chompy aren't scaring people. The baron is an acquaintance of mine whom I'm on very good terms with,"

She scowled. Cromwell was a handful on his own but ever since Dustwallow Marsh he had been carrying around a runt of a murloc that loved to gnaw on anything it could get is small mouth around. They had started calling it affectionately Chompy for that same reason.

The insane part was the damned think had taken a real liking to Cromwell for some reason and followed him around like a pet! It was probably because Cromwell's hollow chest provided a good home for the little terror.

"He's probably fine," she said as Calhoun began to mutter under his breath beginning the reviving process. The gnome twitched and began to groan and soon she was incased in a green glow, the flesh stitching itself up.

Soon the features of the gnome could be seen, a fair complexion with a cute round face, and pink hair pulled up into pigtails. She was dressed in robes of some arcane design and Calhoun grinned a bit as he crossed his arms, "We have found a mage it seems..."

Carliin could see the wheels in Calhoun's head turning as Zen'Jithil quickly bound up the gnome mage. She opened her eyes, a pretty violet color that suddenly widened as she looked around at the surely 'vicious' horde that surrounded her.

"oh dear oh dear...." she mumbled in common quaking in fear, "No new mount for me now!"

"Relax good gnome. We aren't going to hurt you in fact I brought you back and my good friend Kodash here healed you," Calhoun said in his oh so perfect common, "You just have to excuse my fire happy friend here, She meant no harm in her action,"

If possible the gnome's eyes got even bigger as she gawked at the undead priest who only continue to smile in response,"Now gnome what can we call you as to conduct our business?"

"Business?" she asked cautiously, "If it's information you want I'm not saying a word horde!"

Calhoun continued to smile and took a seat pouring some ale for them both, "Zen'Jithil untie her. Show this dear think we mean no harm,"

The troll glanced at Carliin and she quickly translated to horde, "Untie her,"

The troll cut the gnomes bonds with one sweep of his dagger, the mage rubbed her wrists looking at the undead priest with a mixture of disbelief, confusion and disbelief, "Er...I'm Cyra Tugglebolts," she said shyly playing with the sleeves of her robe, " a mage,"

"Oh? A mage traveling alone in the world correct?" Calhoun said offering her a glass.

She took it and nodded, "Aye....not doing me much though. Dirt poor and can't seem to make a penny and when I do its wasted to armor and necessities,"

Calhoun smiled. He already had this hook, line, and sinker, "Well my dear then you'll like this business we are going to talk about. How about you join our little group and make a killing in cold and profit, learn some horde and travel the world in the hands of capable companions completely safe?"

"You mean join the horde?" she said blankly sipping the ale.

He shook his head, "No I meant join us. We aren't so tied to the horde, only run high paying jobs and we'll do it for the alliance as well if you bring the quests and we'll split all the earnings between all the people in our group,"

"How many?" she asked a twinkle in her eye as the great emissary of the god of money made his case.

"There is me, Carliin, Zen'Jithil, Kodash, Cromwell and with you added to our group that would make a group of six,"

Cyra though a bit, ah and on her chin, "Would anyone know about this except you?"

He shook his head, "No. We keep our business to ourselves besides with alliance tasks to run we will have double the income,"

Carliin rolled her eyes and took her leave with Kodash, "When he talks of money he would sell his own soul for it," she grumbled to the shaman.

The orc shaman chuckled, "The world is changing I say. Can't cling to old hatreds forever," he patted Carliin on the back and went over the to the bar.

Carliin sighed and moved over to where Cromwell was feeding Chompy the murloc small scraps of his meal. She took a seat and the murloc scurried across the table towards and opened his mouth wide as if demanding tribute.

She sighed and reached into her pack taking out a small piece of cheese and dropped it into the waiting murlocs mouth. Chompy chewed gurgling happily and began to hit and bite at her necklace pendant. What was with this stupid thing and shiny things?

As Chompy continued to swipe at her pendant she took the time to look around at the guests tonight. There was Kodash talking with some other horde smiling, most likely talking about his family. A trio of drunk dwarves laughing loudly over drinks, a solitary tauren druid sipping his ale quietly, two humans talking with a night elf and dranei who kept scowling at her.

She only smiled sweetly back. No need to be uncivilized right? Chompy nibbled on her pendant before loosing interest and scurrying back over to Cromwell and gnawing happily on his shoulder armor. What a strange murloc...

Calhoun's appearance from downstairs, wearing a winning grin, told the story of what happened upstairs. They had a mage in the party...a gnome mage with a lust for glittery coins that could come close to being a rival for Calhoun's lust.

The cult of the money god was growing it seemed. The priest took a seat next to her smiling, "We will meet our newest companion outside Booty Bay when we leave for the swamp of sorrows,"

She only nodded and sipped at her cherry fizz happily as the inn crowded with alliance and horde, the factions clearly divided even here with alliance on one side, horde on the other. No one seem to care though. Booze was booze and business for the goblins was good.

As the inn became more crowded their table was join by others. Zen'Jithil sat back in the shadows not talking and just musing, Cromwell was grinning widely, with Chompy in his arms, and Calhoun of course was there but other new faces appeared.

A young tauren shaman with a pretty smile, a slightly snooty mage blood elf as well who was busy pouring over scrolls, an orcish warrior with one eye and a nasty leer yet had a good sense of humor, and the newest guest to Carliin's displeasure was another troll. The troll was a hunter she guessed.

Somewhere in the conversations at the table the name Jandi came up. Probably a bit too much booze was talking later with everyone except for herself and Zen'Jithil was plastered with the stuff that the hunter mentioned a troll and a human hunter girl up north with a small party. Defiantly a bit too much booze talking but then how could she talk? Stranger things could and always seemed to happen in this wide world they lived in so why not?

The conversation was cut short by the troll lifting his glass, a murloc dangling from it with muffled gurgles causing the whole table to break into laughter.

It was fun evening but soon she noted that Zen'Jithil was slipping out the door and for some reason she followed him out. She claimed it was just the heat of the room from all the people crammed into the small room.

She found him down by the beach and sat down beside him, "To crowded in there for you mr. Anti-social?" she asked smiling.

"A bit..." he said looking out over the ocean.

"Thinking about going?" she asked glancing at him, "To the home of th Zandalar trolls...your real family,"

He laughed although it was humorless, "Never was home and never knew a face ta call my real mother or father. Why would I go there mon?"

"To see who you are?" She asked sipping her cherry fizz.

"To see who I might've been, " he corrected quietly, "That wasn't the path I ended up on,"

"All in the past that never was," She said with a sigh, "Me? I think I should head home...something needs to be found up north for me,"

"Care for some company?" he asked lightly turning to look at her.

Carliin grinned wide, "I dunno. Should I bring a great lump of a troll like you up north so you can terrorize the countryside?"

"Carliin...you would be lost without me," He snickered winking at her,"You always running off with your head cut off,"

"Oh quite you!" she said angrily but punching lightly in the shoulder, "You are lost without me since you can't talk to a soul!"

"Both of you are lost without me!"

The two turned to see Calhoun and Kodash with all their mounts, Cromwell stumbling around drunk, a small hiccuping murloc following around gurgling as it tried to bite the shiny. The gnome mage was also there hood up covering her features and wearing clothing akin to a goblin probably to help with the travels their group would make.

"Carliin, you'll be riding with Cyra since she doesn't have a proper mount and your kodas can easily carry a gnome," The priest said although he swayed a bit still with the affects of alcohol.

The shaman chuckled," Seems this world is full of strange things when the level headed priest gets tipsy,"

"oh be quite and lets move out! We have a road of gold to blaze!" He declared somehow managing to get up on his mount. Carliin chuckled and helped a nervous Cyra onto her kodas, "Relax me gal, it only be a kodas and I ain't aimin t hurt ye lass either,"

The gnome mage smiled slightly under the hood at the familiar accent of dwarf made somewhat comical by it coming out of an elf, "I hope we can get along," she said softly.

Carliin gave her a smile, "Better then me n the troll no doubt lass,"

Cromwell scooped up Chompy allowing the murloc to crawl up under his armor before getting on his mount laughing, "To the moon and back me friendlies! Away!"

The pounding of hooves, claws, and rumble of a kodas growl echoed in the still night air as the group of companions set out once more into the world once more.

~*~

Okay ^_^ I borrowed Jandi to make a reference to the wonderful fanfic, '"The Rhythm of Our Life" by Luna Ardere, a really well written and interesting story as are all of her stories ^_^

Jandi belongs to darkspear Kor'Alli who was mentioned to be heading to stranglethorn ^^ I thought it a proper little insert to show some appreciation to both ^-^

Other tidbits on characters XD Carliin is a REAL character on wow, my character XD so you may have seen her wandering around Fenris once and a while lolz

the tauren shammy is an old character of mine I don't play anymore and deleted but she need some love ^^

So now the party is Cromwell, Calhoun, Chompy, Carliin, Kodash, Zen'Jithil, and now Cyra XD

I must like the letter C no? XD

anyways enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven at last!

And again...I can't figure out how to write the troll accent XD I'll get it eventually. *sighs *

anyways enjoy! More revealing of pasts and peak at Cromwell!

~*~

Tristfall Glades, the last frontier before braving the corrupt lands of the Plaguelands. It was always a tense journey through the lands of the dead. There where memories that Calhoun held about the place when he was alive and something in Cromwell remembered the killing fields from some long ago battle.

Carliin shook her head and rain a hand through her wet hair as she indulged in the last bath until they cleared the Plaguelands. Cromwell splashed by with Chompy laughing bringing a smile to the warlock's face. He was still a mysterious soul.

Zen'Jithil was a down the way with Kodash in the 'male' side of the lake but she knew that damn troll was probably sneaking a look at every chance he got. Cromwell she could tolerate because the warrior couldn't tell a breast from a tree and he was busy frolicking with his murloc.

Calhoun and Cyra where up at camp preparing dinner. For some reason the two had become thick as thieves. She blamed it on their mutual lust of money. She shook her hair out running her hands through the long tresses of black hair closing her deep blue eyes for a second or two relaxing.

That is until she heard the splash and the shriek of a raptor that ended in a startled cry of pain. She opened her eyes and looked on in shock as a red raptor jumped and ran about on shore a little light blue murloc clamped on its tail. In Trsitfall Glades Chompy chomped you it seemed...but what in the lights name was a raptor doing here!?

Carliin looked over her shoulder at the other two males bathing on the other side of the lake, Kodash was there looking kind of confuse but Zen'Jithil was no where to be seen. Probably the sound sent the rouge into stealth mode.

Carliin covered her breasts and glared at the bushes as she moved to her clothes on the shore. She dressed quickly feeling like more eyes where watching her then she wanted to. The raptor was growling at the little murloc off along the beach Chompy snarling right back. Between the two they seemed to have a mutual understanding. The murloc might've been small but he had a jaw of steel.

The warlock moved towards the raptor slowly, the creature turning to eye her as she took slow steps reaching into her bad to pull forth a small bit of fish she had. The reptilian eyes eyed her over before leaning forward and sniffing the fish. It then took the fish growling low but in a more friendly way.

Chompy tugged at her dress gurgling and pointing at his mouth and she sighed sacrificing a bit more fish to the murloc. The raptor bumped her growling for more fish. Lightly she pushed the two hungry critters away from her with a glare, "No more you two!"

Zen'Jithil came out of the woods looking between the warlock, the raptor, and the murloc, "Found a new friend?"

"I guess..."she grumbled patting the raptor a bit, "I mean...it might belong to someone,"

"I think it wandered toward the pond," the rouge said jerking a thumb back at the woods, "Not a footprint other then its own or movement of a hunter at least in the perimeter.

"Well we can't drag a hunter's pet along with us just because we can't find him. Let's get moving and track the raptor's tracks in a backtrack!" She said giving the raptor one last pat. The rouge sighed crossing his arms, "When you get someting in your head there is no stoppin you,"

"That's why you love me," she teased walking by looking at the ground, "Now be a good troll and start tracking,"

He grumbled and gestured for her to follow her. Chompy climbed up on her shoulder and hung on looking on ahead gurgling and kept turning back and gurgling at the raptor who growled a bit at the small murloc.

"Can we hurry up before this murloc and raptor make me a causality in there war?" Carliin said.

"Oh?" He glanced back at her sneakily, "If that's the case..."

"If you slow down I'll make troll kabobs out of you!" Carliin hissed angrily.

The rouge chuckled and crouched down getting a fix on the raptor's tracks and moved slowly forward tracing the path back with Carliin and the two warring critters as well. She moved up beside him glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, "How did a rouge learn to track anyways? I didn't think it is something you learn,"

Zen'Jithil was quite for a bit pausing to glance at her, "My father taught me a bit about trackin...he was a mighty hunter,"

"Your father? This is the first time you mentioned the troll who raised you..." she said her interest sparked.

"Nothing much to say," he answered, "Found and raised me as Darkspear teaching me about the world on his lap as he smoked away always off in the hunt,"

"If he was a hunter I would think he would teach you about it not just a few tracking tricks," Carliin said in a bit of surprise.

"He was going to," Zen'Jithil said quietly, "But he disappeared when I was young,"

"...what happened?" She asked getting closer putting her small hand on his shoulder, "If there is one thing I'm learning from Kodash its that talking things over helps get it out,"

Again Zen'Jithil was quite before letting out a sigh, "My father, Jeh'Ri Stormtracker, was a hunter of da darkspear tribe. He had been through many a hunt and fight, having a broken tusk and one good eye when he found me and took me in to da tribe," he began slowly as if remembering all the details of a foggy memory.

"He planed to teach me all of his tricks and talents and raise me as his heir but...one day he go on hunt when I was young and never came back. A day went by and I went to da elders and told them of his disappearance. They grew worried. After a week without a trace of him some said he wandered into another hunt and to wait longer...."

"But he never returned," Carliin said quietly.

He nodded, "Four months without a trace or word. Four months of living in da empty home overlooking the village and feelin out of place from da rest of the tribe. One day I took a few tings and left the tribe to find him or at least a clue to his fate,"

"Have you found a trace of him?" she asked.

Zen'Jithil shook his head, "No. Its been so many years I've lost all hope of figuring out what happened to him...to many years of selling my blades a rouge rather then a hunter,"

" I think he would be proud of you,"Carliin said suddenly, "He seemed like the type who would be proud in whatever profession you took up. He left doing what he loved doing and perhaps he's still hunting whatever prey he found,"

There was a moment of quite between them broken only by the hissing breath of the raptor and the gurgling of the murloc on her shoulder as she inched closer pulling him into a slight hug as best she could manage. She was even more surprised when he moved to give her a slight hug in return.

A lump was in her throat and her memory tore at her trying to force a hazy vision to come forth. Something she was looking for...that piece in the puzzle that would link her confusing past together. There was early childhood, her failure at being a paladin, her training early as a warlock and her running away from home and then...nothing.

After that she remembered Calhoun tending her in a cave asking how she ended up starved and looking like such a mess in the wilds. It seemed they both had missing pieces about their pasts that both wanted to know desperately about yet had somehow had forgotten their goals.

"We'll keep looking and we can always ask Calhoun to have his in formatives keep an ear out. If we work together I bet we can shear up all the holes in our past in order to get moving forward again,"

"We'll?" he asked looking at her.

Carliin nodded, "I want to know something as well...I want to know...I want to know why I dream of tall mountain pines, of a clear blue sky, and a savage forest troll tall and bloodthirsty...and who it is that tells me to run...."

"Then you are right, " he said in a near whisper, "We'll find it somehow. I think we are a stubborn lot,"

She giggled slightly, "I think Kodash and Cyra are the only ones without a troubled past of some sort. Cromwell I know has something up,"

The troll grinned as the mood lightened, "I bet he was the king's nephew or some bizarre twist of fate like dat,"

"If it turns out to be something like that I'll kiss a troll," she said with a grin.

He chuckled and moved forward back on task of tracking the raptor's trail, "Then I hope he is just to see you do it. I'll make sure to find you a nice sweaty forest troll alright?"

"You do and I'll saw off your tusks and a glue them to your head so you look like a demented stag," she growled back although she wore a small smile.

He chuckled and turned to her putting finger to his lips and then pointed ahead. There in the distance a small cave, tucked away from prying eyes with a faint glow of firelight, most likely the fire dying down. She turned to ask Zen'Jithil what he made of it but he was gone like smoke in the wind. Typical rouge...

She crouched in the bushes feeling kind of silly as the raptor kept sticking its head in her pack to get more fish and the murloc began to chew on her necklace happily. Minutes ticked by and she sighed, "I swear I'm going to kick his ass when he gets back..." she grumbled.

"Kick who's ass mon?"

The sound of the defiantly not Zen'Jithil troll voice made Carliin shriek and slap whoever it was, missed sending herself sprawling on the ground, disturbing the raptor who leapt back running into whoever it was, and in the end Chompy let out a gurgle and landed on the poor raptor's back and bit down. The raptor bucked sending the murloc flying into some bushes where he gurgled unhappily.

Her face was beat red as a hand put itself on her arm helping her up chuckling, "That be an interesting change of tings," the stranger chuckled.

Carliin looked up at the newcomer, a jungle troll no doubt about it with a large flaming red Mohawk and a wide grin on his face, "You nearly scared me to death!" she shot back in her usual hot tempered manner.

The troll blinked holding his hands up in a slightly surprised way at the blood elf warlock's sudden violent outbursts ," No one meaning ya harm girly," he said.

"Don't sneak up on me," she huffed crossing her arms. She noted the raptor came up the troll without hesitation bumping him slightly, "I guess then that the raptor is yours?"

"Ja. This be Trakkor, " he said patting the raptor's head, "And I be-"

"Jandi?" she asked crossing her arms, "Or...not quite. The hair is different...so I guess not,"

"Jandi my twin brother," the troll said patting the raptor again, "I'm Kor'alli,"

"I can see the family resemblance," she said moving towards the bushes where Chompy had fallen. The murloc grumbled angrily and climbed back onto her baring its sharp teeth at Trakkor who only growled back. She sighed and moved her pendant into Chompy's hand causing him to stop leering and start chewing.

Kor'alli raised and eyebrow at the murloc and Carliin shook her head, "Don't ask. It's not mine," she dusted herself before sighing and giving a slight bow of the head, "Forgive me for my rudeness earlier. I'm Carliin,"

"Karly," Kor'alli said with a nod, "pretty name,"

She wasn't in the mood to argue over the pronunciation of her name at the moment and sighed looking about, "Have you seen a tall troll with slightly messy red hair, stormy eyes and usually looks like he's moody sneaking around?"

"No. Haven't seen any other trolls why? Is he the one your going to kick ass too?" Kor'alli asked grinning.

"I'm going to kick his ass, saw off his tusks, and roast him slowly over an open fire," she proclaimed puffing herself up to her 'intimidating' height causing the troll hunter to snicker a bit.

"Glad I not him,"

That's when Zen'Jithil put his hands on Carliin's shoulders, "I would like to see you try that Carliin,"

For the second time that night she let out a shriek and turned to slap the now snickering rouge who moved out of her small slap range. She had learned not to get up in a trolls face when you slapped them. Those damn tusks proved to be an effective counter attack to the head. Zen'Jithil's tusks slamming into the side of her skull after a slap had been a very painful situation for sure.

"You overgrown tusked gnome son of a harpy, bastard spawn of a night elf and walrus!" she shrieked.

Kor'alli was trying real hard not to laugh at the cursing little blood elf raging like a mother troll after a naughty youngster, "You got a firey companion there," he commented with a broad grin.

Zen'Jithil sighed, "You don't know the half of it,"

Carliin puffed up feeling extremely short now being towered over by two trolls now. At least she was taller then the raptor and Chompy who was now eying both trolls wide eye and drooling. Weird little murloc. No wonder Cromwell liked him.

"Well we better get to camp before Kodash's hair turns grey with worry, "Carliin muttered as the two trolls kind of stared at each other. It was the look of two people who swore they never met yet somehow recognized the other.

"Have we met?" Kor'alli asked, "you have a familiar face about you...."

"No. Never met I don't think," Zen'Jithil said shaking his head, "If you want you can come along to our camp. The extra company is welcomed,"

And that's how they arrived at the camp later, an extra troll in tow after he had gather up his things and joined them and the rest of the party by the fire. Cyra was hooded and hunkering down with Calhoun, the two whispering over something acting as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Kodash however gave them a warm smile , "Welcome and greetings to our new visitor,"

They welcomed visitors to their camp of misfits. Perhaps it was that every member in the group understood what loneliness, isolation, betrayal, and confusion was without a care. The past had happened and they had tossed it behind them. The future was there and by all accords everyone saw it as bleak. That is why they had all found the present more pleasing.

"So where do you hail from friend?" Kodash said striking up small talk with the troll hunter. Carliin only half listened, the names of tribes and chieftains lost on her. She had her eyes trained on Zen'Jithil who seemed to tense at some of the names ever so slightly. A dead give away to her that he knew something...or perhaps...he had lied before.

Zen'Jithil, she realized now, did know Kor'alli and perhaps Jandi as youth in his village. Knew and chose to not rekindle old acquaintances. Didn't he mention his father and himself lived just above the village kind of out of the way of the rest of the village? Two hermits in a hut that found all the conversation they needed in silence.

"So you look like one who has traveled a lot. Have you been to the Outlands?" Carliin asked as she pulled out a bottle of cherry fizz.

He nodded, "Been out there a couple of times now. The place is bizarre but has a strange beauty to it,"

"I've heard that the hunting is good there, " Kodash said pulling out his pipe, "I myself have never traveled to the ancient homelands but it will be something I feel I must do,"

Carliin shrugged, "Heard there are a lot of crazy mana addicted blood elves doing something out there. Me? I want to go a glance at an alien world. I want to have traveled everywhere before I settle down,"

It was then that Cromwell decided he wanted to join them and came bounding into camp covered in leaves, grass, and all matter of woodland plant life giggling madly, "Heya trolly!"

Chompy perked up at hearing his murloc lord come in and ran over clinging to the warrior's leg. The undead giggled, sounding like a cat being strangled and took a seat next to Carliin, " I saw scarlet peoples and I stabby them when they chased me!" he declared smugly.

Calhoun glanced up snickering, "The damned crusaders deserved that for sure,"

"You really don't like the scarlet crusade do you Calhoun?" Cyra teased with a giggle, "When we passed by that camp you decided to fry em all!"

"that was because they where being cruel to squirrels and I just can't stand that, "Calhoun said with a grin, "that's all. My scarlet crusade hate is nothing compared to Cromwell's hatred of snakes, Carliin's hatred of trolls, and Zen'Jithil's hatred of gnolls,"

"I don't hate gnolls, "Zen'Jithil growled, "I just don't like them all that much,"

"Whatever for?" Carliin asked, "Wouldn't your leg miss all that gnoll loving?"

Kor'alli laughed, "that might do it know?" he wiped a tear of mirth from his eye and grinned at Carliin, "So you are da troll hater eh?"

Calhoun nodded with a shrug, "We don't know why. She just really doesn't like trolls. I think the Bloodscalps tribe incident was proof enough,"

"Oh?" the troll hunter arched an eyebrow intrigued as Calhoun chuckled.

Kodash was also bit confused looking at the priest, "Care to enlighten us? Sounds like an interesting story to be told,"

The priest nods sitting back tapping one bony finger against his bloodless lips, "Where to begin..ah yes...we where in Stranglethorn...about a year ago and I had just bailed Zen'Jithil out from an appointment with the dungeons in Booty Bay. Part of the price was thin out the bloodscalp tribe numbers so off we went north,"

The priest paused for a minute to take a sip of water to quench his tomb dry throat a bit before continuing, "Now Cromwell wasn't with us yet at this time so it was just the three of us wandering about. Eventually her and Zen began arguing...a bit loud and we ended up getting jumped by a bloodscalp hunting party,"

Kodash blew out a stream of smoke slowly eyes a bit wide, "How did you escape that?"

"Very interesting thing happened was Carliin got away, her voidwalker imploding to give her a shield to get to a hiding spot. Where ever she ran to it was muddy and miserable and it got our little firecracker here simmering for a plot. Now as for me and our rouge here, we where about to be roasted when a terrifying shriek echoed over the vale. Sounded like a banshee crossed with a skinned cat and an angry yeti I would say,"

He paused again for a sip of water, "The bloodscalps started talking to each other worriedly, something about bad mojo or something...when all of sudden here comes Carliin, looking like something that had crawled out of the plaugelands shrieking and causing a ruckus and then bringing down some infernal flame on them. To make a long story short, we got free, the bloodscalps where scared off from the 'fire witch", their village burned, and Carliin was in a piss poor mood,"

Zen'Jithil shook his head, "You forgot the part with the raptors Calhoun,"

"No he forgot the part where that alpha gorilla tossed him through the woods for trying to kill its mate," Carliin said with a snicker.

"It sounds like you all have seen some interesting things in your travels, " Kor'alli said with a smile.

Carliin sighed shaking her head, "What I wouldn't give for a normal day in this lifetime,"

"With people like us around? "Calhoun laughed, "Not bloody likely. I say this world would be dull if there where no surprises. I still remember the look on the undead priests face when I cheerly told him that I still believe in the light for the light gave me this opportunity to continue my work and find my peace,"

"Find your peace?" Carliin asked raising an eyebrow.

Calhoun nodded, "I think everyone is looking for something that gets them up in the morning even if you don't know what that thing is. Mine? I'm looking for vengeance and an answer"

"I'm working to keep my family fed and happy," Kodash said, "To think of their smiles keeps me waking up each morning and getting up even against the toughest of odds,"

Chomp gurgled something and Cromwell giggled, " I got to find commander man and tell him the last orders and stuff. Important things to say ya know,"

Everyone at the fire gave the insane undead warrior a slightly surprised look. Who knew that Cromwell of all people still remembered he had some sort of goal in life after death?

Carliin sighed putting her chin in hand, "So...anyone have any alcohol?"

Kor'alli grinned, "I got black stick"

Twenty minutes later, Carliin had fallen deep in love with the magical happy root. Perhaps she had taken a bit too much as now her mind was floating ten feet above her body in the clouds making her feel probably what it was like to be Cromwell. It wasn't bad at all to be Cromwell if this was the feeling you got.

She danced like a drunken dwarf a bit laughing loudly and causing at first some laughs but now a bit of concern as they tried to settle her down. But she didn't want to. Settling down meant coming down from this high place of happiness...no...a nightmare....

Carliin didn't feel safe as the trees where pines, green grass blowing in the wind and the smell of the mountains in the air. She stood there eyes wide and shivering, "Not here not here..." she whispered and turned running as if the place would vanish.

The howl cracked her hazy vision, that same terrifying howl that haunted her forever, the troll making that nightmarish sound standing in front of her. A tall green forest troll with large yellowed tusks painted with red just like his leering face. He whore the skins of animals and the skulls of his victims an bloody axe in hand as he jibbered at her in his language.

"Run Carliin! Run!" the voice cried. She ran with shouts of surprise sounding behind her.

The bushes pulled at her robe like fingers as she tore through Tristfall tripping over herself a few times as the haze in her mind began to clear. She let out a cry as her foot caught in a hole twisting her ankle slightly and sending her head over heals down the slope.

Down the slope and into the middle of a scarlet crusade camp. The humans stared dumbfounded for a moment at the blood elf who had fallen into their camp before their faces darken and charged her. She closed her eyes waiting for the swift blow of death that was descending on her as she reached for her wand as quick as she could.

The attacking humans let out a shout of confusion as s bubble of protection sprung up around her and an Undead warrior with a murloc clinging to his shoulder pads and a red raptor ripped into them. The scene was thrown into Chaos even more with lighting cracking down into the camp and the appearance of a very angry troll rouge.

Arrows and magic whistled into the camp. Carliin pushed herself and let loose a fireball from her wand with a cry as she desperately got to her feet. The seen was a mad bloodbath of scarlet crusaders putting up a frantic defense against the sudden attack force, many of them retreating into the darkness.

Zen'Jithil was next to her, his tusks bloody with a concerned look on his face, "You okay Carliin?!"

She nodded still a bit shaken, " I think I shouldn't have any more black stick or whatever it was called for tonight, " she mummed.

The rouge managed a small laugh as he helped her up allowing the blood elf to use him as a crutch for now. Calhoun sighed, "At least we nailed some scarlet bastards out of this,"

Kor'alli approached next with a slight nervous grin, "Eh...sorry about that,"

Carliin shook her head, "Not your fault at all. I didn't listen when you said I took to much, "She took a steadying breath and offered a smile to him, "Next time just tie me to a tree okay?"

Cyra came next, her worry overcoming her want to keep hidden from Kor'alli. The troll hunter arched an eyebrow at the sight of the gnome and Calhoun patted his shoulder, "She is with us. Saved her life and now she's part of our little guild of misfits,"

"Oh Carliin! You had me so worry girl!" the gnome mage said patting her leg, "I'm so glad you are okay my friend!"

Carliin smiled, "Ack. It be no problem lass," she said in her thick accented common causing Kor'alli to raise a confused eyebrow as to why she was speaking in common like a dwarf.

"She learned common from a drunken dwarf on a ship," Calhoun said with a smile, "If you are going to learn common learn it from someone who lacks a thick accent,"

Carliin only smiled a bit, "enough talk. I'm tired now...let's get some sleep and chatter and such in the morning,"

A chorus of laughs followed as they headed back to camp for a long nights rest.

~*~

The next morning found Carliin waking up curled up against Zen'Jithil using his hair as a pillow, Kor'alli using her stomach as a pillow, Trakkor sleeping on her legs, Cromwell propping his legs up on Trakkor, Cyra was sleeping on Kor'alli easily using the troll as a bed, and chompy snoozing on Cromwell's face. The eight of them where in some sort of 'snuggle circle' as Calhoun had termed it.

She was warm yes but it was hard to get up with all the people lying on you. She couldn't wait especially with the threat that if Zen'Jithil rolled over he would crush her. Carefully she wriggled out from under Kor'alli and Trakkor, the raptor hissing a bit in its sleep at the movement.

After a bit she managed to get out of the snuggle circle with a sigh. Kodash was sleeping peacefully on his side and Calhoun was sleeping like a corpse, his chest not moving an inch. So different then Cromwell who sounded like a bone rattled forest when he slept.

She moved about to make breakfast feeling as if she owed everyone that for saving her life last night after not listening to Kor'alli about that black stuff, taking way to much of the stuff. She got the fire going minding the smoke before looking around in the supplies bag. A few eggs, some wolf meat freshly killed from yesterday, and some spices. Carliin smiled and set about working some campfire kitchen magic. The smell of meet caused the raptor to sniff and lift its head hungrily. Chompy too awoke and waddle over to her gurgling and point to his mouth.

She sighed and pulled out some dried fish handing one to the murloc who happily began to devour it and tossed the other to the raptor that had moved closer to the fire. One by one the others awoke moving closer to the fire for a portion of cooking that Carliin had done. True she was no Kodash but at least she was better then Calhoun. The undead priest's cooking could make the scourge probably run away in fear.

It was nice breakfast. Plenty of food and conversation. Zen'Jithil seemed to have warmed up and opened up a bit to Kor'alli the two talking in their native tongue. Calhoun and Cyra where talking with Kodash leaving Carliin to enjoy the company of the murloc, the raptor, and Cromwell.

"Hehe...we all big family right?" the undead warrior said looking at her with his burning yellow orbs.

"I guess. A weird family but one overall mister looking for commander," she said lightly.

"Yes! The commander. Commander my uncle, "Cromwell said with a hint of a more serious tone as if for a brief moment the scatter parts of his mind fell in line, "My uncle....need to to tell him something. It was...oh! Chompy!"

As quickly as it came, the moment was gone leaving Carliin sitting there puzzled as the undead giggled lifting up his murloc and allowing the small thing to nibble at his bony fingers, "We get Chompy shiny!"

Then it was time to get up and part ways again. Carliin shook Kor'alli's hand with a smile, "take care of yourself and never hesitate to ask for our help anytime,"

"Yes if we are in the area just call, "Calhoun said with his standard pleasant smile, "And as a holy priest of the light even in death you can call me in to do funerals and marriages too,"

Carliin sighed shaking her head, "Calhoun...just stop now,"

The priest shrugged, "well I just put the offer out there. Remember that undead warlock who called me in to marry his succubus to him,"

Kor'alli chuckled, "I'll keep dat in mind,"

Kodash smiled with a bow, "It was honor to meet you hunter. May the spirits guide you to great fortune,"

Cyra smiled as well, "Good luck and good hunting!"

Chompy even said farewell although it was nothing more then a wet kiss to Trakkor's snout in which the raptor responded by licking the murloc back nearly smothering the small thing with its tongue.

Cromwell giggled, "By by now! Take it easy on the sun!"

Zen'Jithil was the last one to say goodbye to the hunter the two clasping hands and briefly bumping elbows in some sort of ritual goodbye. What happened next was a bit unexpected.

The two exchanged a few words in their language, Kor'alli looking confused as the rouge opened his pack rummaging a bit before pulling out what appeared to be a dagger wrapped in thick leathers handing it to the hunter.

Kor'alli has a puzzled look on his face as he unwrapped the dagger, his expression quickly turning to awe as he lifted the now uncovered dagger. Even Carliin had to marvel at it. The dagger handle was lovingly carved from ivory depicting all sorts of wild animals in great detail. The blade was a brilliant shiny metal that seemed to reflex all light that fell on it. Truly it was a work of a great craftsman from the razor sharp tip to the wild eyes of the tiger at the top of the handle.

Kor'alli said something as if arguing on taking such a thing but Zen'Jithil shook his head pushing the dagger towards the hunter saying something that made the hunter nod placing the dagger at his side tied to his belt.

Then it was one last farewell and the hunter parted ways with them moving off like a shadow into the wilderness. Carliin looked over at Zen'Jithil, "What was the deal with that dagger about. It looked important to me,"

"It was my father's dagger. Passed down from hunter to hunter for generations. He gave it to me but it never felt right, " he sighs, "I was no hunter and still am not a hunter. Kor'alli had that wild looks though in his eyes of a true hunter, someone I know my father would be proud to know is carrying that dagger,"

Carliin nodded patting his back,"I know it was hard to let go of something that close to you," she said, "But I bet he's smiling in pride at what you did. Keeping the tradition going,"

"He'll take good care of it," Zen'Jithil said with a faint smile, "He's a true born hunter,"

"will you two hurry up? I want to get to at least to Hope's Light Chapel before nighttime. I don't want to be caught camping out on the plaguelands, not for all the gold in the world,"

"Hold your kodos Calhoun!" Carliin shouted back jogging a bit to catch up with the rest of the group to their mounts. It was another dawn with another path ahead of them filled with danger but sent a thrill down Carliin's spin. Calhoun was right. A normal day with the same thing to expect everyday would truly be dull.

~*~

Another chapter done! I borrowed Kor'alli who is the property of Darkspear koralli ^^ It was fun to write another troll even thoug for the life of me I can't write the troll accent XDDD

Trakkor and Chompy was fun to write as well XD

And inside information about Cromwell?! Yes! More about the insane warrior is to be revealed as well as some new characters popping in for some fun perhaps XD

hope you all enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

And time for the conclusion of Carliin's past and the starting of her new path in life XD

We get more brief Cromwell insight somewhere and some Warcraft II references!

Also we have Chompy finally getting his own shiny XD

enjoy!

~*~

A warm bath, a clean bed, and no more dodging ghouls? Carliin was in total bliss as she lounged in the warm bath water of the inn in Silvermoon City they where staying at. It had been a grueling few days getting through the stinking plague infested lands to the south.

She cupped a handful of bubbles and playfully blew on them sending the suds dancing through the air. It was truly a good day. Not only was she not sharing a room with any of the boys anymore, but Cyra was so small she didn't have to worry about bumping elbows like when she had to share with Zen'Jithil. Now that was either snuggle up next to him or sleep on the floor especially since he slept on his back taking up the whole bed practically.

A splash in the water caused her to glance up with a smile. The little murloc was enjoying the bath water greatly and it seemed a shame to end its fun as she got to her feet exiting the bath. Letting the water sit for a while to give the murloc some fun was harmless. Besides it would get Cromwell in the water. The warrior never seemed to get in the bath without a reason.

She entered her, Cyra's, and the brainless Cromwell's room with a smile, "Chompy is in the bath Cromwell. Why don't you jump in? "

The undead warrior giggles and tore past her, "Bath time with Chompy chomp!"

Carliin only chuckled feeling in higher spirits then she had in a long time despite she was probably a stone throw away from her parent's home. Cyra looked up from her scrolls smiling, "Well you seem happy dear,"

"Just glad to be sharing a room with another woman and to be clean of the stench of the Plaguelands," She said pulling out a dress made for travel rather then a lounging one like Cyra wore, "Now though I have some business to attend to of a more personal nature,"

"Take care hun and don't come back late or I'll send out the whole search party," the gnome said.

Carliin chuckle, "So speaks my gnome 'servant',"

A brilliant idea by Calhoun once more telling the guards Cyra was a slave and the gnome mage was just as clever playing dumb and loyal. They had pulled the helms over the eyes of the guards. Carliin only smiled, "I'll be fine and I won't make you worry,"

The blood elf gave a reassuring smile before leaving the room tugging up her cloak hood as she headed downstairs. I wouldn't be any fun to run into a familiar family member or someone who remembered her face as the washout daughter of the Summerhawk family.

Quickly she mad her way through the streets keeping out of the busy areas of the city, slipping out of the city and out into the wilderness around Silvermoon alone. She had come here not for the turning in of tasks by Calhoun. She came here for one reason only and that was to find out the reason she kept remembering the far flung pine woods of her homeland in such vivid and terrifying detail.

The weather was perfect tossing the tops of the tall pines about lazily in a small freshening breeze. The scent of the forest filled the air wit ha deep musky scent of mold. She took a deep breath closing her eyes for a moment. Her feet began to move taking her forward to the place she always saw in her mind and nightmares.

She opened her eyes looking down the hill towards a curving stream at the bottom, the ruins of forest troll village rotted on the other side of the river. Had it thrived ever? She couldn't remember as she continued on her way feeling as if she was on some pilgrimage. A journey to the blank in her memory.

Soon the scenery started to become more familiar, more foreboding to her. Carliin's legs trembled as she moved forward feeling like all the bones in her leg had been pulled out leaving spindly noodles in their place. She was so close now....so very close to having the truth within her grasp.

She came soon upon a scene that nearly made her loose all courage. It was a broken down hovel unused in years. The faded markings clearly marked it as a forest troll's dwelling. The spears outside broken and forgotten, a cauldron still overturned from when it was knocked over and the empty door held not even one of the brightly decorated bones that had hung there. Carliin didn't know how she knew all of this....but she did. A faint glimmer of remembrance sparked by the sight of this decaying hovel.

This was where 'he' had lived. That troll in her nightmares. That bloodstained troll that had no name for so long seem to rise up in spirit to hiss out his long lost brutal name, "Nailsmashe,"

Nailsmashe the wild troll of the mountains who stole away villagers from their beds and ate them. A monstrous evil vile creature that not even the other forest trolls could stand. The beast that had hunted her down to kill her....

Carliin clutched her cloak tighter about her as she took a step back followed by another one as if retracing the very same steps she took from the past. She nearly slipped when the heel of her boot hit something shiny and metallic on the ground.

She bent down with trembling hands feeling as if the whole woods held it breath as she picked up the tarnished pendant from the mud. Her eyes where glued to the symbol. A dragonhawk holding two arrows its claws wrapping around an intracatly carve family symbol. She knew this symbol. The symbol of the house of Sunglade....the house of her fiancée.

The memories, that hole in her mind filled up now flashing back quickly as if the name of that house had been a key to the door she hadn't realized existed. Andori Sunglade. Her fiancée, her love, her savior.

He had been a paladin training with her and loved her even when she became a warlock. Beautiful green eyes alight with kindness that complimented his always present smile. She had been angry and foolish but what was to say differently of any young girl? Like a young fool Carliin had run from her problems, right into the woods to prove herself with her newfound warlock powers.

Like a little stupid fool she had wandered the hills planning to murder some wicked forest trolls. In her blinding pride she had stumbled upon Nailsmashe and the wicked thing had moved to devour her bellowing just like in her nightmares....and then Andori had been there telling her to run.

She had run blindly and had tripped. She remembered falling down the jagged slope towards the river and then being blacked out. Then pain and a world of blurring green shapes holding her down talking in an alien tongue.

A fever and sickness coupled with the fear had placed her in a delirium. Then heat. The place was on fire and someone was tugging her along through the woods, her mind a whirl of color. She could see the outline of green in front of her as she was led away from the blaze and through the woods. Then she was running the blot of green run through by a skeletal figure with blazing red eyes. She had run through the woods feeling drained and the world fading below her feet like she was walking on air...then she had finally collapsed.

When she awoke she had seen Calhoun bent over her dabbing her forehead and nursing her feverish body back to health. It was all clear now to her. Nailsmashe was a truly wicked troll and by the looks of it now dead. The burnt out troll villagers below had rescued her and saved her not once but twice and a faceless one had died to protect her.

She got to her feet feeling a deep sense of sudden dread as she looks at the amulet as faint stirrings in her heart made themselves known. What had become of Andori? Was he...."Please no..." She whispered hastily turning on her heels and racing back to Silvermoon with all the haste she could muster in her jelly feeling legs.

She ran to the graveyard. She knew that if her Andori had died he would be buried here. Frantically she looked at names on graves feeling hope with each one that passed by without a name....but it was not to be happy ending cause life never was a fairytale.

"Here lies Andori Sunglade...beloved son....brother...and...and...." She could barely keep the sobs from choking out, "husband!"

Carliin broke down in front of that grave sobbing loud and hard, all the pain and unshed tears all these years came out finally. She cried for Andori who lied dead because of her, she cried for the troll village burnt to ruins, she cried for her faceless savior, and then the tears kept coming. Perhaps she was crying for Zen'Jithil's lost father or Calhoun's lost now as well? Perhaps she cried for Kodash and his family or Cromwell and his lost mind? She didn't know anymore....she just cried.

The sun had set now bathing the sky in a rich red color, the color of blood. Perhaps in a happier mood she would've said it matched the colors of Silvermoon perfectly. She sat there on the ground in front of the tomb until a long shadow cast itself upon her. She turned her tear stained face towards the intruder showing the concerned face of Zen'Jithil, "What's wrong girl?"

She sniffled and wanted to say something like she would normally say. Something smart and cutting that would lead to the age old arguments they always had. Carliin throw herself into his arms sobbing helplessly. He wrapped his arms around her holding her tight as she went into another bout of tears pouring out the story of Andori, of the trolls, and of the evil one that raged in her nightmares.

Zen'Jithil didn't let her go even as her sobs turned to sniffles and she was glad. He was very warm and smelt like the jungle in a good way. The smell of fruits and flowers and good pure earth. Andori was dead and gone, her heart having forgotten him...but there was someone now new in her heart she had come to realize. The very troll who held her now was the object of her affections.

He wasn't Andori but he was a lost soul in search of answers, a wayward child of his people with no place to go and no place to belong....until now. She belonged right here in his arms and he belonged to her. Carliin smiled and looked up at him, "thank you," she said softly before planting a soft shy kiss on his lips.

The rouge's eyes went wide as for the first time in a long time he was got completely off guard by her sudden affections.

She sighed backing away, "You where always there for me despite the fighting...." she said softly, "I guess it took me a while to figure out I'm kind of fond of you Zen,"

He smiled and patted her head, "And I don't tink I would be anywhere without ya girl. I guess we sort of need each other,"

"Two halves make a whole I guess," she said with a giggle snuggling in the crook of his arm tracing a finger over the long tusks.

He nodded and helped her to her feet, "two fiery argumentative halves," he said with a chuckle.

The two arm in arm strolled from the graveyard and a smile graced Carliin's lips as she looked up the sky the amulet once belonging to Andori tight in her hand feeling as if somehow somewhere, her lost love had forgiven her by her remembering of him. With Zen'Jithil now and this sense of forgiveness, that the wraith of Nailsmashe could be laid to rest.

The two walked into the city as mad eyes watched them from the bushes.

~*~

Two days later they left Silvermoon, Calhoun's business concluded and Carliin feeling at peace with the world for the first time in years as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Yet a nagging feeling tugged at the corner of her mind as something still was left undone.

She had paid her respects at last to Andori. She had went to the burnt out troll village and paid her respects to those nameless kind spectors but something was missing. An important key point. Zen'Jithil glanced over towards the woods narrowing his eyes as if sensing something.

Cyra glanced at the troll, "Something wrong Zen'Jithil? You look a bit tense,"

"Something watching us," he said quietly drawing a dagger, "Stay here,"

Carliin hugged feeling her usual overblown attitude building up, "I can go scare the rabbit out," She said stalking towards the bushes.

That's when a terrifying howl cut through the air and Carliin's eye widened as her own nightmare leapt forward, madness burning in red eyes, tusks cracked and white and attached to a gap toothed mouth of a monstrous forest troll. Only one name could describe such a decrepit and evil creature, "Nailsmashe!" she screamed.

The troll villain would've killed her if he hadn't been pulled over by Zen'Jithil, the two rolling in a death and life wrestling match. The rouge had the edge in speed, tact, and height but the savage Nailsmashe was quite sick in the head, and held a wicked strength and need to kill.

The snarling forest troll bit and clawed angrily fighting more like a mad beast then any sentient creature completely taken over by the berserk rage in his veins. He was a berserker of the old horde, a failed goblin science experiment gone mad and wild. Nailsmashe didn't remember much in his mad life, but he remembered the black haired wench elf....he remembered her and he had to kill her. Zen'Jithil wasn't about to let that happen and let loose a roar of his own born of pure fury and sent the forest troll flying over his head.

Nailsmashe landed like a cat on all fours eying this new adversary with a challenging snarl. Zen'Jithil rose to his full height and let out another fury filled howl before charing Nailsmashe. The forest troll was already charging forward the two meeting halfway in a collision of tusk, nail, and blood.

There was not weapons but what light given weapons and strength they had. Like the rest of the group, Carliin stood still as this class of old time rage and instincts rage before them. Raged before them and had the blood elf's heart beating like a drum excited in her chest. Cyra covered her face at every class and hiss.

Nailsmashe let out as shriek moving back holding a bleeding hole in his mouth as an old yellow tusk was knocked clear out of his mouth. Zen'Jithil spit out a bit of blood glaring at his opponent. The forest troll charged again with abandonment tackling Zen'Jithil low looking to rip out his throat with bare teeth....

Carliin covered her eyes clenching them tight as the left tusk of Zen'Jithil was rammed with a sicken sound into the eye of Nailsmashe. The forest troll spasmed for a second before sagging finally dead from the rusk impaled up to his brain. The jungle troll was shaking pushing the dead wretch off him, the tusk stained red nearly to the base.

Calhoun put approached and put a hand on the troll's shoulder, "You okay?" he said quietly in the sudden silence that surrounded the battle. The rouge nodded getting shakily to his feet from the sudden wild battle, blood dripping from the tusk, "Yeah...yeah I'm okay...."

Carliin was next wrapping her arms around him tightly feeling an arm draped over slightly, "I'm glad you didn't get killed...." she whispered, "Not at the hand of the fiend who slayed Andori as well...."

Zen'Jithil looked at the now dead Nailsmashe. A shriveled up form of an old troll, muscles strained unnaturally under green battered and scared skin. The once sleak dark red main falling out in places and unkempt. He closed his eyes, "It was mercy to put the wretch out of his misery. Despite all his cruel and vicious deeds....he deserves some pity for what madness was wrought upon him to bring him to this point,"

The warlock looked down at the corpse and bit her lip, "Then...should we bury him or something?"

Kodash stepped up beside them and closed his eyes. The earth moved up surrounding the corpse pulling it under taking it deep into its embrace, "The earth spirit will let him have his final rest within natural earth rather then the unnatural toxins poured into him,"

A long period silence only interrupted by Cromwell clearing his throat and nudging Zen'Jithil offering a handkerchief, "Troll has brains on tusk," the undead warrior said lamely as he started to polish it.

The rouge rolled his eyes and took the handkerchief, "I can do it myself man. I don't need you breaking it!"

Cromwell giggled, "Then we can make it into a whistle!"

Chompy gurgled in Cromwell's stomach where he took shelter at th sudden war howls of trolls slowly coming out blinking his bulgy eyes. The sunlight caused for a second, Zen'Jithil's tusks to shine catching the small murlocs eye. With a gurgling shriek, the small critter leapt forward and latched onto the tip of one nibbling angrily.

Carliin smiled and gingerly removed the villain,"You want a shiny don't you? Carefully Carliin removed her family crest pendant and put it around the murloc's neck.

Chompy lifted it up and start to chew on it for a bit before letting it drop and hang around his neck and let out a loud string of gurgling speech puffing out its small chest allowing to sun glitter off its new shiny. Carliin only shook her head with a slight smile as she handed Chompy back to a giggling Cromwell. The pendant of her family had no meaning to her, not now, not ever.

The murloc would wear it with more pride then she had ever done and that was fine with her. Besides she wasn't Carliin Summerhawk, she was just Carliin. Who needed a heavy last name anyways? Carliin got up on her kodas helping Cyra up onto it next. She met Zen'Jithil's eyes for a minute and she smiled earning a wide grin in return.

Kodash was getting up on his white wolf mount seeming in better spirits. He turned to his companions with a grin, "Tonight I say we break out the good spices and fares to have a feast,"

"I second that motion!" Cyra said eagerly, "Your cooking is good enough to make the king of Ironforge shed a tear of joy!"

Kodash let out an embarrassed laugh, "I wouldn't say I am that good,"

"Please Kodash. Years of living off of Calhoun's poor cooking has made your food a little slice of heaven!" Carliin put in.

The priest shrugged, "I couldn't cook in life so who was to say I could cook in my afterlife?"

He got up on his mount shaking his head, "I hate rushing a funeral you know. I feel as if I should say a few words," he paused musing for a bit, "Nailsmashe was a simple creature and a victim of terrible experiments. Perhaps that is not to redeem him in whatever afterlife he may have believed before his mind was corrupt, but he at least earns a sense of pity for his wretched state,"

Cromwell nodded slightly, another rare moment when his jumbled mind fell into order, "Amen and let no other suffer such cruel experiments,"

The undead warrior shivered slightly running a hand up one armor to a spot under the shoulder pad as if remembering something. The unnatural permanent smile on his face didn't match the sudden sad look that Cromwell's glowing eyes held. The moment passed like a squall and soon the undead warrior started chuckling as Chompy patted his shoulder and thrusting the new pendant it had into his face.

"hehe! Chompy now proper prince!" he chortled as he clambered up on his bent back mount.

Cyra glanced at Carliin, "Cromwell is an odd one. Do you think one day we will figure him out?"

Carliin shrugged," I can't say really. Perhaps its best not to know what drove him mad....but I must say your orcish is getting much better Cyra,"

The gnome blushed, "We gnomes have always been quick learners despite our small size,"

"Yes and more likely not to blow yourselves up like many of goblins I've seen," Carliin said with a chuckle, "I don't see how Calhoun has ever learned to be close friends and chums with many of them,"

"Lots and lots of patience and keeping it to business," Calhoun responded with a grin, " Goblins and me speak the language of money which is nearly universal,"

that earned small laughs from the group as they continued onward down the path leaving behind the lofty pine mountains and the dead nightmares and dreams behind. The future looked just a smidgen brighter now. Carliin smiled and glanced over at Zen'Jithil. Yes....the future was defiantly brighter.

~~*~

Whew! Finally got this part out! This chapter has been in my head for a long time of what is Carliin's forgotten past now finally it is written down.

Perhaps one day as a one shot side note I'll write the tale of Nailsmashe the wretch but who knows?

Now the important pasts left to reveal are:

Calhoun's quest for vengeance and his lost love

Who is Cromwell and why is he mad?

And of course, what happened to Zen'Jithil's father and why was he left in the jungle as a baby?

It will all be revealed eventually but next chapter is going to be a bit mushy XD

see ye all next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

The sunset was pretty but for some reason this sunset was even better then any sunset that happened before. Perhaps it was because she was sitting up high in a tree in Zen'Jithil's lap looking over the Hillsbrad Foothills or maybe it was just how nature decided to paint this particular sunset. Either way, Carliin was content.

"So what are we going to do anyways do you know?" She asked tugging on the end of his tusks playfully.

He growled a bit taking her hand only to plant a kiss on it, "Up to Calhoun girl," he said moving his other hand to stroke her hair, "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "I was thinking about marriage,"

The blood elf turned around with a glint of playfulness in her eyes causing the troll to arch an eyebrow, "And what would your parents say?"

"Don't care," Carliin declared tossing a bit of hair over her shoulder, "What about your tribe? What will they say about you marrying a elf girl like myself?"

He shrugged, "Haven't talked with dem in years. I don't think they will give a damn. Besides you are horde no?"

She chuckled and tugged on his tusks again, "Of course I am! Only a horde girl like myself would be so talented and mystifying!"

"Oh really? You talented?" He said in a teasing voice putting his chin on the top of her head, "If being a crazy girl with a bitchy attitude is talented you have it in large amounts,"

Carliin pouted pushing away from him, "Oh be quite you overgrown gnome," she grumbled crossing her arms.

He chuckled leaning forward planting a small kiss on her ear tips making her ears wiggle in pleasure,"And you too my drama queen,"

"Not your drama queen until you propose," Carliin said teasingly.

"Then will you marry me Carliin?"

The question only had her falling out of the tree as she turned to look at him, "That's a very big and important question Zen'Jithil. A very big question,"

She fell silent pondering it. They fought but for the most part it was how they loved to interact and it was more playful now and days. He was a troll and she was a blood elf. So what? She didn't give a damn and neither did Zen'Jithil and if some theories of trolls and elves being related where true, they could have a family. They traveled a lot, too much for a family. So? Life on the road built character.

Carliin turned to him with a solemn expression,"after careful consideration I have decided that," she paused giving him a serious look before breaking into a smile and tackling him being mindful of his tusks, "I accept! I do!"

Zen'Jithil was nearly sent falling out of the tree at her tight hug.

~*~

Tarren Mills was gloomy, moldy, and right now the happiest place in all the world for Carliin as she practically skipped arm in arm with Zen'Jithil. It was an awkward looking skip with their height difference but she didn't care. She was a regular beam of sunshine in this dreary place.

Calhoun looked up as the two came in with large grins on their faces, Carliin putting her hands on his shoulders, "Calhoun can you do us a favor?"

"Depends on the favor," the priest responding sipping his ale, "Why? You two are acting like you are up to something,"

"As a priest of the light you can shall we say, preform a marriage ceremony?" Carliin asked with a wide grin.

Calhoun nearly choked n his ale spitting a bit out turning to look at Carliin with surprised shock written on his face, "Marriage? You kid right?"

"Do I look like I kid?" the blood elf asked with a huge smile, "We want to get married and you are just the priest to do it!"

The priest was still in shock and took more of a gulp from his ale as to steady his nerves against the sudden declaration of the blood elf warlock. Two gulps was all it took for Calhoun to regain his composure and sigh getting to his feet, "Fine. If this is what you wish, we can do the ceremony just a little east of here. I'll get my book,"

The undead priest moved away from the two and up the creaking steps to his room as Carliin smiled happily, "Told you he would do it but I also believe that if we gave him a gold piece he would've been moving faster,"

Zen'Jithil chuckled and put an arm around her in a hug," That may be girl but he owes us something for all the word we did for him,"

She giggled again with a nod. Calhoun returned from upstairs a large book tucked under one arm, "Let's get moving then,"

They where still within reasonable distance of Tarren Mill when Calhoun stopped and opened the book he brought flipping through the worn pages of the tome with great familiarity. The faded logo of the light was printed on the front with words written in the common tongue in flowing script. Eventually the priest stopped flipping and cleared his ever dry throat, "It has been ages since I married two people off. I'm surprised I remember what passage to read in the holy book,"

Carliin smiled hooking her arm around Zen'Jithil's, "Well I have faith in you Calhoun to read the correct passage," she said.

The troll rouge nodded, "You always shown you where a powerful priest of the light from the day you took up the book to the day you die,"

"Die again you mean," Calhoun corrected with a chuckle, "And I guess despite all the whining of the shadow priests up at Undercity I've stayed true to my calling. Now enough about me lets get you two happily wedded before I get more requests for ceremonies,"

Calhoun read the passages with an even tone in common, a faint smile playing on his face the entire time as he recited the old text as if remembering fonder times he had experienced. Despite being dead, the priest's voice remained nearly clear of all rasp and still had that solemn tone that command silence without raising his voice.

In the quite of the night standing their in the clearing just a bit east of Tarren Mill, his voice filled the hills with those beautifully written words of the light filling Carliin up with a sudden happiness which showed on her face in the form of a big smile.

"Do you Carliin Summerhawk take Zen'Jithil Darkspear to be your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

Carliin looked up at Zen'Jithil and smiled with a nod, "Yes. I do,"

"And do you Zen'Jithil Darkspear take Carliin Summerhawk to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

Without a second of hesitation or doubt he nodded, "I do,"

"Then by the power granted to me by the ever brilliant light I pronounce you man and wife. May you live long and prosper within the light. You may kiss the bride,"

Then he closed the book with an almost revered gentleness before giving a small bow before heading back to Tarren Mill. Zen'Jithil gave her a roughish grin and swept her up planting a fiery kiss on her lips which she returned readily.

Calhoun smiled a bit although it had a bit of sadness to it. There was a time he had shared this same kind of love with his sweet Madeleine. They had promised to marry....his bony figures curled around the book slightly. Gerrad that bastard had survived and married her and he wasn't about to let such an offense go, not as long as he still walked!

He sighed and looked to the now giggling blood elf and grinning troll, "Hey you two love birds. Take a honey moon for the next month and meet us in Booty Bay alright?"

Carliin nearly stumbled in shock, "Calhoun?! Time off from work?! What have you down with our priest?" she demand.

The priest grinned, "It is being deducted from your pay though dear," he said pleasantly, "So live it up while you can,"

"That's the Calhoun we know," Zen'Jithil said with a grin.

"Well time is money Zen," Carliin said with mock seriousness, "Let's get on your raptor and head south,"

the priest arched an eyebrow, "South? I heard there are quite a few alliance south by the road at least,"

The two grinned deviously and Calhoun sighed shaking his head, "And that's why you're going right?"

"Calhoun how long have you known us? We like to cause mischief to those stuck up patrols from Stormwind! It will be easier this time with one mount,"

"One mount?" Calhoun asked crossing his arms, "You two taking the kodos?"

"No. Let Cyra use it. We'll take the raptor, "Carliin said snuggling up against Zen'Jithil, "Besides its faster and scares the horses more,"

"Mmmm.....I wonder how frazzled we can make dem alliance this time?" Zen'Jithil asked with a grin.

Carliin chuckled standing on her tip toes to plant a small kiss on his chin, "We will have them chasing their asses before they realize what hit them," She said with a grin.

The two laughed heading after the priest towards Tarren Mill. Halfway there, Zen'Jithil scooped her off easily carrying the giggling blood elf bridal style up to their room while Calhoun shook his head, "Always in a rush it seems," he grumbled taking a seat at a table in the corner opening the book he treasured so dearly in life to reread the words there. It had been to long since he had put this tome aside....much too long.

Outside Cromwell wandered alone around Tarren Mill, Chompy on his shoulder as he hummed a tuneless raspy song making it sound like the air was alive with skinned dying cats. He didn't care. He was happy.

He stumbled along until he spotted some knights riding by not noticing the shambling undead warrior hiding in the brush, eyes glimmering. His memory slid into place for a minute and he stood up after they had passed his mind remembering that he was suppose to be riding somewhere, "The commander needed the report..." Cromwell muttered, "The area was lost, we cannot hold these lands if reinforcements aren't sent...Commander...my uncle..."

Then like a leaf in the wind his mind was lost in a jumble of confusing swirls and thoughts and he giggled, "Mmmm....I want some eggs," He declared skipping back towards Tarren Mill singing off tune again.

Chompy gurgled happily as well raising a hand in the air holding aloft his shinny letting the moon catch the glimmer of the trinket as if he was some sort of murloc king being paraded down into town.

Kodash looked up smiling a bit as the undead warrior stumbled into the inn, "I find riders and then want some eggs. Chompy wants meats though," Cromwell said giggling.

The orc gestured to the seat across from him, "Then take a seat friend and eat hearty. Calhoun is in a peculiar mood tonight and says to eat whatever we can stomach in return of cramming us all in a room so Carliin and Zen'Jithil can have some....alone time,"

The undead warrior giggled covering his permanent ghastly smile, "Carliin and Zen'Jithil are making babies aren't the?" he whispered loudly giggling more.

"Shhh! It is a big secret Cromwell. You can keep a secret can't you?" Kodash said with a small smile a finger to his lips.

Cromwell nodded making a hissing sound putting a finger to his lips, "Cromwell be as quite as tomb abouts it!"

Kodash nodded, "Good then. I'll order you some deviled eggs for your promise,"

The undead warrior let loose a cheer throwing his hands in the air, "Bless the lion and the witch!"

A few of the other patrons in the inn looked over at the clearly loony undead who probably oozed his brains out his ears long ago. Calhoun glanced up shaking his head and sipped his ale, "Cromwell...may you always keep us entertained...." he muttered.

It was a moment of pause and peace for the group but such moments in time didn't tend to last long or forever for a roving band like theres.


	10. Chapter 10

Whhhha! I'm sorry this is so late *bows bows bows * had to finish coloring some stuffs and some real life stuffs but finally this gets updated!!

enjoy!

Arathi Highlands always provided good sport for Zen'Jithil and Carliin's all time favorite hobby for as long as they both has been able to pull it off. They fondly called their sport 'Alliance driving' where the whole point of the game was to get the Alliance running circles all over the valley for the fun of it.

Now it wasn't they hated the Alliance it was just that some of those hardcore Alliance knights where so full of themselves it was fun to frazzle them. The Horde got a bit of crazy frazzling of another sort from Carliin who always played the dumb tourist in Orgrimmar and asked them a bunch of silly questions to the point the guard was loosing patience. One time she had one guard quit because of her.

Carliin grinned up at her husband and mate crookedly, "Must be some big thing happening at Hammerfall to have the Alliance running about here so much,"

"Aye just all the better for you my little terror," He said patting her head affectionately causing the blood elf to snicker, "A little terror eh? I'll get you back for that one you overgrown gnome! I'm just a kind little blood elf girl who is just slightly peeved at the Alliance,"

"Of course you are. Now you have a fear spell ready to slam into those Alliance horsemen?"

Carliin nodded with a fierce little grin," Just say when Zen'Jithil and they will be thinking we are a couple of giant demons and spiders in a hellish place chasing after them,"

The troll chuckled and kicked his raptor into a gallop charging along the road without a care in the world, "Well get ready den...I see them gleamin on the horizon,"

The warlock turned her gaze forward catching the gleam of plate mail as the sun hit it and grinned wide the fear spell already starting to dance between her fingers,"Let the fun begin,"

The Alliance warriors came quickly upon them as they charged headlong into their ranks raising a hullabaloo among their ranks. Horse screamed and bucked as the fear spell ensnared both beast and rider Carliin grinning all the while. The rouge's hands seemed a blur as he reached out easily knocking the confused knights off their frightened steeds onto the ground. The raptor was unfazed use to the chaos leaping over horses and charging out down the road as the Alliance knights tried to get their bearings to give chase.

By then the two hooligans where out of sight laughing all the way, Carliin turning to give him a kiss on the cheek minding his long pointed tusks. The incident with Nailsmashe showed just how lethal they could be if used correctly.

He grinned down at her putting one three fingered hand on her head stroking her hair lightly as the rode towards the wetlands. It was going to be a tour of Azeroth for the two. Just a ride through the country terrorizing Alliance all the way down to Booty Bay taking a whole month. Just the two of them. No business, no fighting, no nothing really.

The raptor had slowed to a waltz now as if sensing the lazy atmosphere in the air taking its time down the road now having put some distance between the Alliance and themselves. Carliin leaned back into his warm arms smiling softly as the sun began to dip down on the horizon casting a striking lighting against her lover's profile and causing the tusks to gleam. Gently she tugged on the end of one catching his attention once more, "Hey Zen'Jithil? Have you ever wondered who your parents where? Your real parents?"

He was silent for a minute or two before shrugging, "Sometimes but its a rare thought. I don't think I would want to learn about parents who abandoned their son to the wilds of the jungles,"

"Maybe something happened?" She asked with a bemused expression on her face, "The troll customs of the jungle aren't practiced by the Darkspear anymore you know. Maybe one of them led to the reason you where out there,"

"Oh? Are you the expert on troll customs or something?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

Carliin shook her head, "No but I traveled with quite a few goblins and scholars during the ship guard days with Calhoun. One goblin was telling me a strange custom about twins,"

"You mean about when twins are born one twin is cast out into the wilds to die for being the evil and misfortune bringing twin? Some tribes do, some tribes don't. Zandalar tribe doesn't practice that,"

"Then what about the tradition of the wild spirits?" She asked as she rummaged in her pack for a drink.

He was quite for a while, very quite as his gaze seemed to look beyond the mountains into the far off distance, already back in the jungle of Stranglethorn, "...it was just that according to my father of adoption," he finally said, "I was left to be given to the spirits of the wilds in sacrifice. My adopted father found me first though and felt pity,"

Zen'Jithil closed his eyes briefly, "Sometimes I wonder if it was the spirits who got him taking him as the sacrifice that I was meant to be,"

Carliin paused in her searching and looked up at him. She placed a hand at the side of his face and shushed him softly, "No...no that's just superstition speaking Zen'Jithil. He was a hunter...a wild child at heart. If anything the spirits met him and decided to make him one of their own to forever wander the wild lands hunting like he always had,"

The troll smiled with a nod, "Aye...he probably would to. I bet one day I'll find him out in the middle of nowhere smoking his black pipe and asking what took me so long to get there,"

The earlier tension seemed to melt away as the two once more jumped a painful secret. The blood elf warlock smiled and continued to snuggle against him, "So how long until the nearest outpost you think?"

He grinned as if getting some sort of signal in the sentence or perhaps, Carliin mused, troll males just had that weird sensual intelligence that just made every comment sound like some sort of innuendo. That or trolls where just naturally trying to get the opposite sex in the cave so to say.

"About two day ride from here I think. One if we don't stop to rest," he said.

Briefly she weighed the options, "I think we can rest. No hurry to the next time...just keep those hands of yours from wandering you hear?"

"Well I can't help it!" he said back with a wide grin, "My hands have da voodoo in dem that just makes them wander all over the place! I can't control it Carliin!"

"If you don't keep control over it you are going to be sleeping outside while I take the bedroom for myself," Carliin warned slitting her eyes in a glare.

He grumbled playing slightly with her hair, "You always make things difficult Carliin..."

"That's why you love me Zen'Jithil. I make you work for your rewards instead of presenting myself like an all you can eat feast," she said airily with a wide grin.

The troll shook his head, "You are are more feisty then any troll woman I've ever met...."

"Why thank you Zen'Jithil darling, " she drawled tugging on his tusk again hard enough to jerk his head slightly.

"It was a compliment Carliin," he said with a wide grin, "Feisty makes it worth the effort no?"

"That's what I just said you overgrown gnome!" she said it with an angry tone but wore a huge grin on her face .

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her in a hug as the big lizard mount moved along the path at a slow easy pace the june bugs zooming about the wetland's thick air in the fading daylight. The lizard yawned showing long impressive teeth glancing back at its riders with a growl. Zen'Jithil chuckled and patted the great lizard's neck, "Patients Clackclaw...just a few more moments and will be running again,"

The lizard made a small growl before moving back to keep its eyes on the road as Carliin yawned, "well it will be dark soon. I don't want to be caught out in the open with the alliance probably looking for us,"

He chuckled with a nod," Then off we go!" with a flick of the wrist, the mount let out a shriek of delight and rushed forward digging its clawed feet into the ground as it took off down the road.

Carliin stared off a bit before she tugged on Zen'Jithil's tusks again," You know what? I think you need to improve your common and learn to speak Thalassian,"

"Elfy language?" He asked with a slight face of disgust, "What for?"

"I dunno...to scare the living daylights out of the blood elves who call you a stupid troll behind your back by calling them names in and swearing at them in Thalassian? It's like sounding sophisticated while talking like a sailor,"

Zen'Jithil chuckled, "I'll learn it if you learn Zandali," he said petting her hair as the wind whistled as if bringing in the incoming night.

"Well it will be weird and I might have a strange accent but I'll try," Carliin responded patting his hand, "And I'm afraid if you learn common from me you'll end up a troll with dwarvish accent...."

"A troll dwarf accent...that will be bizarre to hear..." he murmured and Carliin nearly giggled.

"I think we should just let Calhoun teach you that to avoid bringing into existence such a bizarre accent,"

The two settled into comfortable silent, Carliin snuggling down in between his arms contently humming to herself in Thalassian a small smile of content on her face.

The troll only smiled and kept one armed wrapped around her while holding the reigns, the other continued to stroke her hair lovingly as they rode into the fading darkness.

~*~

Cyra sighed as she sat back with Kodash on his wolf mount, "Do you think they will make it back alright?"

Calhoun smiled, "Those two are fine for the first time in years I say. Nothing better then dropping the past and moving on," the undead priest chuckled dryly, "and they are born to fight and cause trouble those two hooligans,"

Kodash smiled, "I will have to agree with you there from what I've seen from the short time I've been around them,"

"Did I ever tell you how I met those two?" the priest asked turning to look at the remaining three group members.

The orc shaman shook his head, "No you haven't but I've often wondered about it,"

The priest smiled, "well Carliin was fairly short in meeting. The girl was babbling and with fever half dead in the Ghostlands when I found her and nursed her back to health. She owed me a life debt and never left. I guess we are close friends, companions one may say,"

Kodash nodded, "And Zen'Jithil?"

"Now that is a tale to tell, " the undead priest said, " It was a favor of saving his neck from the gallows for a friend of mine in a rouge guild. Zen'Jithil was trained by them since he they found him half starved wandering the roads. He left the guild for personal reasons, not something out of the ordinary, but had gotten into a spot of trouble with the baron of Booty Bay,"

Calhoun paused to clear his throat, "He was framed for a theft from the baron and since I'm close friends and gambling partner with said baron I paid off the good baron and earned myself a troll rouge who was at the time very moody and withdrawn and might've stayed that way if Carliin hadn't been so feisty and argumentative with trolls,"

"So she has always fought with trolls?" Kodash asked arching an eyebrow.

Cromwell giggled, "Troll lady say she more vicious then a bloodcrazy dire!"

Calhoun nodded with a grin, "Some troll witch doctor commented dryly that are dear little warlock was as vicious as blood crazed dire troll and as cunning as a snake. Carliin didn't know whether she should feel complimented or offended by it,"

Cyra giggled and Kodash cracked a smile, "What a peculiar group we are...but..how did you meet Cromwell?"

"We didn't find him, Cromwell found us actually, "Calhoun said with a shrug, "We where caught in a bad mob of undead out in Tristfall when he came running in looping of skulls and carving up ghouls laughing. We thought he was quite mad and all he said was, "I like to play tag!" and laughing more. He just started following us,"

"Follow yep!" Cromwell said with a grin, "Help with the mission! The big one!"

Calhoun arched an eyebrow, "What mission is that again?" He asked dryly already use to Cromwell's declaration of being on an important mission.

But for the first time in years, Cromwell put on a solemn face nodding as if that nod had shaken his thoughts into line for a brief second, "I have to report to the high commander of Stormwind,"

Cyra blinked, "Stormwind? You? They would burn you on sight you crazy bastard!"

The sudden outburst seemed to bring Cromwell's mind crashing to pieces again and he grinned, "Do I make good bacon?"

"Now that is a normal response. That last one was kind of creepy coming from Cromwell," Calhoun said shaking his head, "but at least I know something new about his so called mission"

The orc shaman nodded, "Maybe Cyra can do a little digging for us. You know...ask around Stormwind if they know a Cromwell. Perhaps the warrior's guild of the city would know him,"

Cromwell giggled, "Know me! Who the hell is Cromwell or was? I was a bacon slice!"

Calhoun chuckled, "I'm fine not knowing too. He will still be lovable comic relief Cromwell forever to us,"

Chompy gurgled peaking his head out as if responding to the comment lifting its necklace in the air before starting to chew on it happily. Cromwell patted the murloc, "Chompy murloc king now! Gonna rule the big pond!"

The group laughed as they rode forward in the fading sunlight all of their thoughts on their two group members riding off ahead. It was the calm before the storm.


	11. Chapter 11

Get ready for angst, more angst, and a side of more past revelations! Enjoy!

Carliin awoke with a yawn snuggled in warm blankets slowly setting up rubbing her eyes. It had been a wonderful month of prancing around the continent but they where due in Booty Bay within a week to join up with the others. The blood elf warlock glanced down at her sleeping husband and couldn't help but smile. He was so cute when he slept!

The big troll was curled up nearly sucking on his thumb the other hand draped loosely around her waist. He slept like he stalked; barely without a sound and you wouldn't even know he was alive if it wasn't for his steady breathing that sounded like a soft breeze across the desert.

"For a rouge you are really a deep sleeper!" she commented with a grin stroking his hair slightly.

A hand snaked around to her back pulling her down suddenly and she squeaked in surprise. A grin blossomed across his face and without opening his eyes he said, "And you snore like a tauren,"

She lightly hit him pouting, "I do not you big meanie!"

Zen'Jithil chuckled as he rolled onto his back putting his hands behind his head cracking open an eye, "Well I still love you anyways even if you do snore like a tauren,"

She pouted more and moved away from him, "You can sleep on the floor in Booty Bay then you silly mean thing you!"

He laughed sitting up ruffling her hair, "You know I tease you just to get a rise out of you,"

"Sometimes I wonder," she drawled although a small smile flitted across her face as she moved to pull her travel clothes on again wrinkling her nose, "Ugh....I can't wait to get to Booty Bay! I can finally get these washed!"

The troll grinned, "You could always wash them in the river...."

"So you can stare at me in wet clothes or naked on the shore while I wait for them to dry? Heh...nice try Zen but you better be more cunning then that!" Carliin said with a wide grin.

He shrugged as he buttoned his pants, "Worth a try no?"

"Trolls..."she muttered rolling her eyes causing Zen'Jithil to arch an eyebrow, "Trolls Carliin? Not all trolls are like that,"

"I'm starting to wonder...." the blood elf said tying her black hair up in a bun, "Karalla was peeping from the pushes back in Tristfall before we met him. I can assure that! Just admit it Zen'Jithil...the entire male species of troll are nymphos!"

"Oh? So now male trolls are their own species? What does that make the females?" he asked strapping on his daggers.

"More well behaved and cultured then the males for sure," she said with a grin as she bent over to lace up her boots. Zen'Jithil shrugged and gave her a smack on the rear causing her to bolt up clutching her buttock, "You!"

The rouge grinned, "Well I have a reputation to keep it seems,"

Carliin growled rubbing her rear end before stalking out after him, "I hate you so damn much..." she muttered angrily to which the troll only grinned, "Whatever you say girl,"

Duskwood wasn't the most beautiful of places but she had to admit it was a bit tranquil in how quite the place could be. She looked up at the dusky sky and sighed. In one week it would be the bright hazy blue of the jungle with the nearly suffocating heat. That and she would get the most hideous of uneven tans if she couldn't find a nice place to sunbathe.

The heavy hand of Zen'Jithil on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts, "Ready to go girly?"

"I'm ready to go but don't call me girly right now mister! You are on probation!"

He chuckled, "Are you my mother or my lover?" he asked as he got up on the lizard mount offering her hand up.

She grinned accepting his hand and lifted up easily onto the mount, "Well sometimes I have to be your mother with your bad behavior at times!"

The two shared a grin before he slapped the reigns of the lizard and they where off from the small horde base into the wilds of Duskwood heading towards Stranglethorn Vale and the meeting with the rest of the group. Truth be told she missed Calhoun and the others. In a way they where her new family, perhaps Zen'Jithil saw them as their small tribe.

She leaned back in his arms feeling content and at piece smiling without care as they made their way down the path towards stranglethorn and by all means home as well to their bizarre little troupe...but fate was fickle mistress that could be a loving ...as she could be cruel....

~*~

Calhoun sighed as he watched Cyra march up into the city of Stormwind armed only with a name in her hunt. The gnome was dead set on hunting down Cromwell's past even if it meant camping out in Alliance territory for her horde friends. Calhoun sighed uneasy and twitchy. They had camped in Alliance territory before but having a rouge around was always a helpful thing.

They sat in the deeper part of the woods, hidden well among the rocks, trees, and bushes keeping their heads down in case a patrol came by. Cromwell was very jittery whining and dancing from one foot to the other pointing at Stormwind, "Want to go! Have to go!"

"What is so damn important in there you have to say?" Calhoun hissed pulling the warrior down beside him nearly smashing a gurgling Chompy who barely managed to doge the warrior toppling over.

Cromwell tilted his head, "have to gooooooo," he whined more insistently tugging on Calhoun's robe, "Have to have to have tooooo!"

"You sit there and shut your mouth or I'll remove your lower jaw and beat you with it," hissed Calhoun back pushing the warrior away from him, "Do you want to bring the whole alliance down on us?"

The undead warrior, his face fixed in an unnatural grin frowned with his eyes making a whine deep in his throat sounding like a dry rattle in his chest. Cromwell slouched off to Kodash tugging on the shaman's clothes next, "I have to Goonoo!"

The orc gave a slightly forced smile, "If you behave and keep quite I'll make some sweetened salmon,"

That shut up Cromwell quickly, his eyes lighting up as the insane mess of his mind jumbled up again with the thought of salmon coursing through it. He put a finger to his fleshless lips and made a shushing sound, "I'm quite,"

Calhoun sighed and slouched down in the shade of a tree, "I'm going to take a quick nap while we wait for Cyra. Kodash if you could, would you keep an eye on our dear Cromwell?"

The orc nodded keeping the smoke from the fire to a minimum, "I'll keep an eye on the warrior. He probably doesn't even remember what he has to do now,"

They both glanced over at Cromwell who was now giggling and playing with Chompy who was finding it fun to gnaw on his 'owner's ' leg armor making fierce little grunts.

Calhoun sighed settling down and pulling his priest hood down more over where his eyes would've been located over the leather bands, "Truly a simpleton...."

In a few moments the priest was out like a light, looking like the corpse of a dead noble nestled in the bushes. Kodash sat back and began to prepare dinner idly in the pleasant noonday sun feeling sleep tug at his own eyelids. Cromwell though was wide awake and every now and again would glance toward Stormwind as if his very being ached to run to it. Why? He didn't know but something big was there...something really really important that he remembered somehow in vague blurry details.

A battle yes yes that was it. There was a battle he was in...a big battle with lots of flashing lights! Cromwell giggled, "flashy lights...."

Lots of flashy lights and the world was spinning round and round his head as if the whole battle had teetered on the handle of a top. There where sounds yes, it sounded like a folk dance pounding in his head with the clatter of steal the rhythmic sounds of screams in the air and the smells! It smelt metallic, sweaty with a touch of blood in the scene as well. Something happened, a hand on his shoulder pulled him out of that whirling place of madness, a sweating face shoved into his, "Go...Stormwind...to.....uncle...go...Cromwell!"

A broken sentence for he couldn't remember what the fill in the blanks for it where actually. But Stormwind and uncle and his name placed the meaning of it here and when his thoughts sometimes fell into place...he could recall that sentence. Right now though nothing really came to mind as other thoughts invaded this one important one like thoughts of clouds, Calhoun, Carliin, and the others as well as Chompy. These new thoughts where very important to him because unlike the other ones he could hold onto these ones longer but that one thought, the order he was suppose to do...it haunted him like an itch he couldn't scratch. So he had to go to Stormwind and see if maybe his mind could be thrown into place once more.

He became quite putting Chompy on the ground and moving backwards slowly into the bushes. Zen'Jithil was sneaky so why couldn't he be sneaky? He had to be quite. Really hush hush about this. Cromwell moved back more and more before the camp was out of sight. He grinned and sprang to his feet rushing towards Stormwind. It was time to do the final order he couldn't remember.

~*~

How did this happen....? How could this happen? Why did this happen!? These thoughts and more whirled in Carliin's head as she dragged herself onward limping with her dirty wet and torn robes clinging to her body the jungle closing around her with almost devious intentions now. They had just only ridden into Stranglethorn and had decided to take a glance at the jungle shoreline. They didn't see the pirates until it was too late and they might've escaped across the bridge if the damned corsair hadn't cut the bridge.

She remembered the terror as she held onto Zen'Jithil's shirt bottom before the cloth ripped in her hand sending her plummeting into the river, the current sending her head over heels over a small fall and then a larger fall. She had blacked out at some point and woke up lying on the sand of the shore coughing into the grainy sand. Bruised banged up but alive at least. Alive and able to find Zen'Jithil!

That what has pushed her to her feet and had her staggering off into the jungle leaving a trail a blind gnoll could follow but she was worried, wounded, and a bit delirious at the moment. Eventually she collapsed at the roots of a tall vine covered tree panting her stomach twisting itself into knots as it attempted to devour itself.

Tiredly she dug into her sopping wet pack digging out a few fish, preserved carefully by Zen'Jithil and a half of loaf of bread that had been wrapped up and kept dry thankfully from her dunk in the river. She pushed some soul gems out of the way looking for perhaps a dash of spice but her search was in vain and she sighed closing her back and turning to gather a few twigs together to start a small fire.

With a little coaxing of warlock magic, the fire was soon a small humble one, just enough to warm the two fish she had pulled out, a slightly spicy scent reaching her nose and making her stomach complain even more. Eventually her stomach could take no more waiting and she gingerly took one of the fish out of the fire biting into it with a moan. Finally some food!

As she ate she was unaware of two crafty eyes watching her from the foliage, another in search of food attracted by the smell of food. It wriggled closer making a twig snap. Carliin looked up sharply and pulled forth her dagger, "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

She backed up to the tree glaring into the surrounding foliage eyeing each bush as if it was an enemy. Eventually a sigh was heard and timidly a troll rose out of the bushes hands up non threatening, "No needa yell elfy...Jujai no hurty only wants food food!"

Carliin lowered her dagger gawking at the newcomer troll in obvious shock. She was a female jungle troll no doubt about it from her grayish-blue skin but was she by far the oddest most outlandish troll she had ever laid eyes upon! She was tall with a wide grin on her face showing her two pointed tusk and her teeth filed to points. She wore a mask over her eyes with purple hair cascading down her tattooed back. Her arms where decorated in snakes curling around each arm with tons of dangling wooden bangles and a few of brass. Her clothing was the colors of the jungle with odd bits of foliage attached to it by choice or by just happening.

"Who are you!?" Carliin blurted out bringing her dagger up.

The troll tilted her head lowering her hands slightly, "I'm Jujai elfy and Jujai not going to hurt elfy swear by the sprits she do!"

"What do you want?" The blood elf demanded next praying the answer wasn't to eat her. Trolls still practiced cannibalism in these part.

"Jujia only hungry elfy and smelt your fish cooking. Can Jujai have one? Jujai can help swears she can! Elfy hurt yes? Jujai can heal!"

Carliin lowered her dagger a bit more as she eyed up Jujai. She could tell the troll was underfed and a bit boney, her clothes ratty, and all and all she looked a wretched starving creature. The blood elf sighed and took a seat and gestured to the fish, "Have your fill then,"

The female troll grinned wide and quickly moved forward sitting down and seized the fish as if afraid it would swim away from her. Carliin felt bad for the troll woman as she devoured the fish down as if it where the greatest feast she had ever touched.

Jujia didn't even leave out the bones chewing on them as well breaking a few to suck out what little marrow there was. The troll grinned patting her stomach, "Much better! Jujia thanks the little elfy for being kind to poor poor Jujia,"

Then before Carliin could say a word the odd troll have moved next to Carliin looking her over critically with deep red eyes from the eyeholes of her mask, "Elfy real banged up but Jujia fix that right up!"

"What are you-" Carliin didn't even get to finish her sentence when Jujia pulled Carliin's leg up into her lap pushing up her dress and expecting her bruised ankle critically tutting under her breath, "Bad bruise..."

The troll traced the bruise with two fingers chanting under her breath and the bruise began to heal under a small flash of light. The warlock blinked incredously looking up at the troll woman, "You're a priest?"

"No silly elfy! Jujia be not a priest! She be a witch doctor!" Jujia proclaimed with a sense of pride and Carliin bit back a groan. A witch doctor...she had heard of such trolls, fought against a few as well but never did she think in a million years she would have one patching her up.

True Jujia didn't look like any witch doctor she had ever seen and spoke common very well other then her way of always referring to herself in third person. Even the fact that she looked starved and not looking like the well fed ones from the less than friendly tribes she had tangled with.

"...what tribe are you from?" she asked hesitantly.

Jujia sighed shaking her head, "No tribe for Jujia. She be all alone in the wilds now. Outcasted for being a troll can elfy believe it?"

The witch doctored sighed taking a seat bringing her legs to her chest. Carliin narrowed her eyes slightly taking a better look at the woman now trying to make some guess as to where she had originally came from. A lot of tattoos of snakes for certain, the long reptiles coiling around both of her arms and a few on her back coiling together. Darkspear perhaps? Weren't they big on snakes? The blood elf was no troll expert. The trolls themselves where the masters at identifying what tribes they hailed from and what family they where apart of.

Zen'Jithil may be of Zandalar descendant but by tribal tattoos and symbols there was little doubt another troll would immediately place him with the Darkspear rather then his birth tribe. Perhaps when she found Zen'Jithil he would be able to place Jujia in a neat category.

"What elfy be staring at?" Jujia asked tilting her head causing her bangles to clink and rattle.

"nothing…" Carliin muttered as she used her dagger to slice a piece of bread for the troll and one for herself.

Jujia smiled wide again showing off her pointed teeth accepting the piece of bread with a nod, "Thank you elfy! You are so good to Jujia! Such a kind elfy!"

Carliin shrugged as if was nothing when truth be told she felt back for the troll woman. She wasn't old, her youthful features shown through the strain of her malnutrition. A fallen beauty in her prime for Carliin figured by troll standards she was pretty.

Jujia sighed patting her belly, "Haven't eaten in a long time like that. Thank you elfy you perhaps saved Jujia from starving," she gave a kind smile to the blood elf who couldn't help but give a small smile back in return.

"…Jujia? Have you seen a troll named Zen'Jithil?" she asked as a spark of hope welling up in her. This wild jungle witch doctor was a wanderer so perhaps she had seen her wayward mate. The witch doctor however shrugged, "No. No Zen'Jithil. Sounds like Darkspear name though," she answered with a scowl of dislike.

"er..raised by Darkspears but not really all too connected with them to my knowledge," Carliin said noting her sudden souring of mood.

"Darkspear no trolls. They just big fat ugly orcies in disguise! They don't act like trolls anymore!" Jujia said with a scowl, "Throw Jujia out for being a troll!"

"Throw you out for being a troll? In what way?" Carliin asked a bit curious.

"No voodoo, no cannibalism, no traditions we had, and no customs w e had! Orcs say troll ways bad ways so trolls toss the old ways out the window! Not right!" She explained crossing her arms.

In her mind Carliin couldn't disagree more with Jujia's statement but she wasn't about to voice her opinion to the witch doctor especially out in the jungle where she was probably her only hope. The blood elf didn't know whether she should be comforted or alarmed by that fact.

~*~

Zen'Jithil winced as his arm was bound up, the cut along it deep even by troll standards. Three days it had been since the incident, three days …and he wasn't even allowed up to search for his mate! The wounds had been bad and for a second or two the troll believed he had been dead.

Probably he would've if Kor'Alli hadn't been passing by and found his bloodied body half leaning half draped over a root. He was thankful to the other troll, hell he owned him his life but…Carliin was still out there.

The rouge sat up wincing all the while from the various bruises and wounds he had on his body but managed to growl angrily trying to get to his feet, "She is out there alive in the jungle! In Skullsplitter territory!"

Kor'Alli sighed and forced Zen'Jithil back down in bed with a firm but gentle force, "I know but you are no good to her a dead troll. I'll go out and see if I can pick up her tracks alright? You need to recover,"

Zen'Jithil gave a weak snarl and struggled a bit but quickly gave up. It was clear he didn't even have the strength to sit up against someone's hand let alone go tromping through the jungle. He gave a sigh of defeat leaning back into the pillows, "…if you can…please find her Kor'Alli,"

The hunter nodded and flashed a grin , "If she is anything like the last time we met, she probably leaves a trail wide enough that the alliance might confuse it for the road!"

Zen'Jithil gave a weak laugh feeling his sides ache from even that, "You will probably hear her yelling about how she is going to skin me alive before you find her trail,"

The hunter chuckled, "I wouldn't doubt that. Just keep it easy until the rest of your group shows up. I'll bring back your little she demon,"

"If she doesn't attack you demanding where I am," Zen'Jithil chuckled, "She might end up carrying you and your lizard on her back to Booty Bay saying you where going to slow,"

Kor'Alli chuckled again as he headed towards the door, "Don't worry mon. I'll have her back in once piece,"

The rouge only gave a small smile as he leaned back in the bed wincing more at his wounds. He had to pray to the gods and spirits for her safe return. Kor'Alli was a fine hunter and would bring her back he just knew it…hoped for it!

He watched idly the sunlight streaming in through the window of the small room he had been placed in by the goblins being recognized as one of Calhoun's lackeys. For once it paid to be a friend of the eccentric priest it seemed. The sea birds called outside and the faint smell of sea salt gave the room a pleasant feeling one that the tired wounded rouge couldn't fight despite his worry for Carliin's safety. Eventually his eyelids grew heavier and heavier and before he could stop himself, he was fast asleep his mind filled with troubled dreams.

~*~

Tons of cliffhangers XD sorry ^^ had to be done XD We have a new character now! Whoo! I feel creative ^^

Kor'Alli belongs to darkspear Kor'Alli ^^ an amazing author and I suggest you go read her stuff!


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